Ariana Grande Claims She's "Hardest Working 23-Year-Old on Planet"—Then a Factory Worker Chimes In

Ariana Grande is one of the most successful pop stars out there. She's had numerous Grammy nominations and number-one hits, and has made millions of dollars along the way: all by age 23.

But a recent Instagram post by Grande has a lot of people scratching their heads...and shaking their fists:

The singer posted a picture of herself with the caption: “when you're cute but you're also the hardest working 23 year old human being on earth #cute #butalso #CEO #unf*ckwitable #haventsleptinyears.”

It didn't take long for commenters to disagree with Grande's “hardest working 23-year-old human being on earth” claim:

• therealjordanvega: So hard Im sure. Why don't put your life on the line like so many soldiers & first responders for a small paycheck. Learn what sacrifice is. You're a joke.
• bambisbubbleSweetheart: I love your voice but I already had 3 jobs at 23. Two was to get by while the other was my career. I didn't sleep for years! On top of school! We love you and we know you didn't mean any harm but you were blessed with a voice that is not something every person can work hard for. So own your blessing don't claim them as something you worked hard for. #thereisadifference
• tristinreedel: When you're cute but also the most clueless 23 year old human being on earth

Those are just a few of the thousands of comments. Yikes.

Independent Journal Review spoke to two hardworking, young Americans who believe that Grande may be exaggerating her workload.

Tommi Wildnauer, 23, gave us an explanation of her average day at a factory in Pennsylvania where she works. It all begins at the crack of dawn:

"Every day, my alarm goes off at 4 a.m. I wake up in an empty bed because my boyfriend is working nights at the same factory I work at. I give myself enough time every morning to snuggle with my 6- month-old son, Sylas. He is the best thing that has ever happened to my life.

I go into the bathroom, throw on a little bit of makeup that will eventually be worn off and most likely replaced with powder metal by the end of the day. I lace up my boots, drop my son off at my grandmother’s house, and off to work I go."

Tommi Wildnauer

With no college degree and no prior work experience, Tommi works tirelessly to make money and establish herself at her job:

"I am a Quality Control Technician at a Powder Metal Factory in St. Marys, Pennsylvania. I started off at $10.50 an hour working nights, sitting at a table staring at thousands of little pieces of metal, packing them into boxes and sending them on their way.

I was able to work my way up enough that I now work in a nice, air conditioned lab on day shift making $21.50 an hour. At 20 years old I started at $21,840 a year, to now at 23 years old making $44,720. No college degree, no experience.

$44,720 might be the price of diamonds on your neck at an award show, but for me it's my living that I doubled in 3 years time, and I couldn’t be more proud."

Lauren Torres, also 23, works for a non-profit in Jinja, Uganda, where she works tirelessly to help develop communities thousands of miles away from her home in the United States:

"Working seven thousand miles away from home as the Program & Communications Developer at a Ugandan NGO — The African SOUP — my job offers me a diverse role and an opportunity to experience a different corner of the world. The African SOUP is a community development organization with an important, nationwide active learning initiative.

I usually wake up before 7 a.m. On some days, I'll have program-oriented meetings with The SOUP leadership team at our office in Iganga (about an hour away on public transport). Other times, I'll be independently working on marketing and communication strategies or applying for grants from my hut."

Lauren Torres

Torres added:

“Sometimes, I'm able to break up my day with a swim in the Nile or end it tutoring English to village children because my bosses trust me to complete my tasks (so rewarding!). I'm passionate about international development and appreciate the opportunity to learn its dimensions through the multiple responsibilities.”

Grande has not yet responded to any of the criticism she's received.

Perhaps she is just too busy to recognize the other hardworking Americans out there who can't afford expensive cars, diamonds, and designer dresses.