Ariana Grande is spilling all the juicy beans about her Nickelodeon days, and it’s nothing short of a wild ride.
The 30-year-old pop diva, also known for belting out “The Boy Is Mine,” recently dropped by Podcrushed. The show is hosted by none other than her latest music video co-star, Penn Badgley. Yes, Gossip Girl himself – XOXO.
In this chit-chat session, Ariana got real about her child star days, fame’s shenanigans, and her time playing the adorably ditzy Cat Valentine on *Victorious* and *Sam & Cat.*
Picture this: 14-year-old Ariana, with all the excitement of a kid in a candy store, flew out to audition for *Victorious* alongside Liz Gillies. “We were bouncing off the walls when we got the part! It was like getting a lifetime supply of free donuts,” she reminisced.
She fondly recalls those days, saying, “We were just younglings with dreams bigger than our hairdos. Getting to live those dreams was like finding out your crush likes you back. Pure magic. We made some unforgettable memories and felt like the luckiest kids in the universe.”
But hold your horses, because Ariana’s got some deep thoughts too. She’s been “reprocessing [my] relationship to it a little bit now, if that makes sense.” Spoiler alert: It does, Ariana. It does.
Now, she didn’t throw any direct shade at Dan Schneider or spill any tea about the Investigation Discovery documentary *Quiet on Set*, but she did hint at some “devastating” stories from fellow child actors. “They’re survivors,” she said, and no, she wasn’t talking about contestants on a reality show. (FYI, Dan Schneider is currently in a legal catfight over the documentary, suing the producers for defamation. Drama!)
Ariana’s got some ideas on making Hollywood a safer playground for kids. “Therapists on set, people! And let parents be like shadows, always there. And seriously, contracts should include mandatory therapy sessions. Like, twice a week. Or thrice. Go big or go home.”
In her chat with music maestro Max Martin, who apparently doubles as a stress-relief guru, she realized that not everyone has the support they need. “Being a mini-celebrity is tough, and the environment needs to be safer. Full stop.”
On the bright side, Ariana gushed about her *Victorious* co-star Liz Gillies. “We got to fall in love with our kooky characters. It was like method acting without the method. But yeah, I’m still working through the rest of it.”
Looking back, Ariana has some mixed feelings about *Victorious*. “We thought we were the cool kids on the block with our edgy humor and innuendos. But now, watching some clips, I’m like, ‘Whoa, did we really go there? Oh snap!’ And those things that didn’t make the TV cut? They sneaked onto our website. Classic.”
Ariana Grande, the child star turned pop sensation, is still untangling the web of her Nickelodeon days. And honestly? We’re here for every twist and turn.