Ariana Grande misses Emmys, plans to take 'much needed time to heal' after difficult two years

Representative for the singer says she is spending time with loved ones and working on new music without the pressure of a deadline

Ariana Grande, pictured right, with her fiancé Pete Davidson (PA)

Ariana Grande is taking a break from the spotlight to recover from a difficult two years, her representatives have said.

Fans were expecting to see the pop star attend this year's Emmy Awards in Hollywood on 17 September, accompanied by her fiancé Pete Davidson.

Photos of seat cards with the couple's names attached emerged a week before the ceremony, and Davidson's show Saturday Night Live was nominated for several awards.

However, the pair did not attend, with a statement issued to People by Grande's team confirming the reason behind her absence.

"Contrary to reports, Ariana will not be attending the Emmys tonight," a spokesperson said. "Pete has also opted to not attend, to be with her in New York."

The statement continued: "Given the events of the past couple of years, Ariana is going to take some much needed time to heal and mend. She will be staying close to home and using this period to spend time with her loved ones and work on new music without deadline. She thanks fans for her understanding."

The news comes a week after the death of Grande's former boyfriend, the rapper Mac Miller, who was found dead at his home in Los Angeles last week following a reported overdose. He was 26-years-old.

Since his death, Grande has paid several tributes to him on her social media accounts, including a statement which said: "I adored you from the day I met you when I was nineteen and I always will. I can't believe you aren't here anymore. I really can't wrap my head around it.

"We talked about this. So many times. I'm so mad, I'm so sad I don't know what to do. You were my dearest friend. For so long. Above anything else. I'm so sorry I couldn't fix or take your pain away. I really wanted to. The kindest, sweetest soul with demons he never deserved. I hope you're OK now. Rest."

The statement from Grande's representative also referred to the ordeal she went through following the May 2017 terror attack at her Manchester Arena concert, which killed 23 people including a number of children and left 139 wounded. Several hundred others suffered psychological trauma in the aftermath of the attack.

Grande said she has been suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) since the attack in an interview with Vogue earlier this year.

She recently released her fourth album Sweetener, which was well-received by critics and topped the charts in both the US and the UK.