Ariana Grande, the 21-year-old who went from Nickelodeon actress to pop music’s darling, is being accused of making outrageous, diva-like demands.
“It’s like the president is in town,” a source who recently worked with the “Bang Bang” singer told Page Six. “Everyone is kind of stressed and at the same time, they’re making fun of her because it’s much ado about nothing, really.”
The insider recently worked with Grande and saw her entitled behavior firsthand on the set of a television project. “She kind of speaks down to everyone around her,” the source added, noting that the atmosphere at a recent event was “very intense.”
This isn’t the first time Grande has been accused of being difficult to work with. On Sept. 9, E! host Giuliana Rancic shared her tale of a run-in with Grande at the American Music Awards last November.
“I feel like where there is smoke, there is fire,” Rancic said of her red carpet interview, alleging that Grande’s team bullied and elbowed her to change positions, so that Grande could be filmed on her left side. “It was like you either get on the other side or we don’t do an interview.”
Rancic, 40, continued, “It’s one thing if it’s Mariah [Carey]. I’ll get on any side. I’ll bend down. I’ll climb a ladder … I’ll do whatever it takes. But when you’re new on the block, trying to earn your stripes … You gotta do what you gotta do. Try to earn a great reputation, try to go overboard to please people.”
While many stars have a “preferred side,” it’s Grande and her team’s approach that’s irked television hosts and crew members.
Instead of coming off like an assertive woman who knows what she wants, it makes Ariana seem like a toddler throwing a tantrum and her parents handling the dirty work for her.
“Having a preferred side is nothing new. Barbra Streisand, Mariah Carey and even Tina Fey have them. The difference is that normally a publicist will come up and politely ask that you shoot X from X side,” Page Six’s insider explained. “With Ariana’s team, it is a demand from the beginning, three people come to make sure before Ariana enters the room. Instead of coming off like an assertive woman who knows what she wants, it makes Ariana seem like a toddler throwing a tantrum and her parents handling the dirty work for her. ”
When asked if specific demands — like being photographed or filmed from one side — make work difficult, the insider added, “It doesn’t necessarily complicate the shoot, it just creates tension for everyone in the room when someone comes in with a list of demands, which is very rare. It also creates a weird shot because she basically sits with her profile towards the camera the entire time.”
On Tuesday, behind-the-scenes video footage of Grande’s cover shoot for the October issue of Marie Claire surfaced. The 90-second clip shows the singer — who is currently dating Naya Rivera’s ex-fiancé Big Sean — being interviewed, walking around on set and reviewing pictures, during which she is shot mostly on her left side.
More allegations of Grande’s unprofessional behavior emerged during a recent press day in Australia. Media was reportedly given a list of off-limits topics including Mariah Carey, her grandfather’s death and dating/relationships, among other things, reports News.com.au.
She also allegedly stormed off the set of a photo shoot with photographer Chris Pavlich after complaining about the way her top looked in photos.
The singer denied reports on the Australian radio show “Mike E & Emma.”
“It was just a photographer or something who got mad at me because I left to change my outfit mid-photo shoot because I didn’t like my top,” she said, adding that the photographer is now spreading “ridiculous” and “untrue” stories about her.
The footage of that interview is also shot on Grande’s left side.
Pavlich had no comment about the incident.
When asked to confirm whether Grande prefers to be filmed from her left side, a publicist at Marie Claire said, “Ariana arrived on set wearing jeggings, a black Nadia Tarr tank top, black suede Louis Vuitton pumps, and a beige Prada tote, sporting her signature high ponytail. ‘It’s a natural face-lift,’ she joked.”
A rep for Grande had no comment.