Ariana Grande‘s manager has opened up about the trauma the American singer felt following the Manchester Arena terror attack last year.
The explosion at Manchester Arena claimed the lives of 23 victims, many of whom were children. Another 59 were injured.
“When she found out that fans of hers had died she was so sad,” Scooter Braun said on the Big Questions with Cal Fussman podcast (via The Sun).
“She cried for days, she felt everything – every face they announced, every name, she wore on her sleeve. Every bit of emotion because that’s who she is.”
Ariana and Braun returned to Manchester days after the attack to visit families and those injured at the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital. It was the “hardest two hours of either of our lives,” he recalled.
“After [meeting] the first family I had to help her, she was distraught and I was lost. It was beyond tough. But every single time we got down we reminded each other we get to go home.”
“Our loved ones are still going to be there. That mother is never coming home, that daughter is never coming home, that son is never coming home, that dad is never coming home.”
On the difficult decision to continue touring, Braun says: “We didn’t have the right to be so sad we couldn’t continue. The terrorist made a mistake … they picked the wrong goddamn show.”
“If they thought we were going to roll over they don’t know Ariana and they don’t know me.”
23-year-old Ariana made the decision to return to Manchester to lead the One Love Manchester benefit concert.
Over 50,000 people attended, raising over $13m for the families of victims and those injured.
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