It’s January 2026, and if you haven’t seen the latest red carpet photos from the Golden Globes, you might have missed a pretty telling moment. Ariana Grande showed up with her signature high ponytail—brown this time, very classic—but the person sitting next to her wasn't Ethan Slater. It was her best friend, Doug Middlebrook. Cue the internet meltdown. People immediately started whispering that the "Wicked" romance was dead, but honestly? It’s just another Tuesday in the world of Ariana Grande relationship history.
She’s been the protagonist of a dozen different narratives created by the tabloids. One minute she’s the "homewrecker," the next she’s the grieving soulmate, and then she’s the whirlwind fiancé. But when you actually look at the timeline, the reality is a lot more human—and way more complicated—than a 15-second TikTok tea video makes it out to be.
The "Wicked" Chapter: Ethan Slater and the 2024 Fallout
Let’s talk about the Spongebob in the room. When news broke in July 2023 that Ariana was dating her Wicked co-star Ethan Slater, the internet basically imploded. Why? Because the timing looked... messy. Ariana had just split from her husband, Dalton Gomez, and Ethan had just separated from his wife, Lilly Jay, with whom he shares a young son.
Lilly Jay didn't hold back, famously telling Page Six that Ariana wasn't a "girl's girl" and that her family was "collateral damage." That’s a heavy label to carry.
But as we move through 2026, the dust has settled a bit. They’ve survived the press tours for Wicked: Part One and the 2025 release of Wicked: For Good. Sources close to the couple (the ones who actually talk to People magazine, not just Reddit sleuths) insist they are the "real deal." They’ve been spotted everywhere from Disney World to NYC Italian joints with Ari’s dad, Ed Butera.
- The Dalton Gomez Era (2020-2023): This was supposed to be the "quiet" one. They got married in a tiny ceremony at her Montecito home in May 2021 with less than 20 people there. But long distance killed it. Ariana was in London filming Wicked, Dalton was a luxury real estate agent stuck in LA. They finalized the divorce in March 2024, with Ariana cutting a check for $1.25 million. Clean break, but clearly painful.
Why We Still Talk About Mac Miller
You can't discuss her life without mentioning Malcolm. It’s been years since his passing in 2018, but his shadow looms large over her discography. Just a few days ago, in mid-January 2026, Ariana went on a podcast and got surprisingly choked up talking about him. She credited him with helping her "shed" the Nickelodeon character and find her actual sound.
They dated from 2016 to 2018. It wasn't perfect. She’s been open about the fact that his addiction made the relationship incredibly difficult to navigate. When they broke up in May 2018, she called it "toxic" in response to fans blaming her for his spiral. Then, he passed away in September. The grief from that didn't just go away; it fueled Thank U, Next, an album that basically redefined her career.
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The Pete Davidson Whirlwind
If the Mac Miller era was the soul, the Pete Davidson era was the adrenaline. 2018 was a fever dream.
- They met on the set of SNL.
- They were engaged within weeks.
- They got matching tattoos (so many tattoos).
- They broke up four months later.
Pete was a distraction. Ariana even admitted to Vogue later that it was "frivolous and fun and insane and highly unrealistic." It was a classic rebound that moved at 100mph because neither of them wanted to look at the ground. When they split in October 2018, it felt inevitable, yet it remains one of the most documented celebrity engagements in history.
The Early Years: From YouTubers to Rappers
Before she was a global powerhouse, her dating life was very "2013." There was the long-distance drama with Janoskians member Jai Brooks. That one was nasty. Jai famously went on a Twitter rant (remember those?) accusing her of cheating on him with Nathan Sykes from The Wanted. Ariana denied it, obviously, but the drama was peak teen-pop era.
Then came Big Sean in 2014. They were the "it" couple for a minute. "Best Mistake" is still a top-tier collab. They lasted about eight months before the "conflicting tour schedules" excuse was rolled out. If you look at the Thank U, Next burn book in her music video, she wrote "so cute, so sweet (can still get it)" on his page. Kinda iconic, honestly.
A Quick Reality Check on the Timeline
It’s easy to judge the "overlap" that seems to happen in her life. People point to Ricky Alvarez (the backup dancer from the donut incident) or Mikey Foster from Social House. There's a pattern of her finding comfort in people she works with. Is that "branching" or just the reality of living in a high-pressure bubble where you only meet people on set? Probably both.
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What This Means for 2026 and Beyond
As Ariana prepares for her Eternal Sunshine Tour later this year, the narrative is shifting. She’s no longer the girl looking for a "forever n then some" every six months. She seems... tougher? Or maybe just more private. Her lyrics on Eternal Sunshine basically told the world to stop projecting their own insecurities onto her life. "Why do you care so much whose d*** I ride?" isn't just a lyric; it's a thesis statement.
If you’re trying to keep up, stop looking for the "scandal" and start looking at the growth. She’s gone from a girl who couldn’t be alone to a woman who manages million-dollar divorce settlements and massive film franchises while keeping her inner circle tighter than ever.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Observers:
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- Check the Source: Most "breakup" rumors in 2026 start on blind item sites like DeuxMoi. Unless it's People or Variety, take it with a grain of salt.
- Listen to the Lyrics: Ariana has always used music as her primary diary. If you want to know how she felt about Dalton versus Ethan, it’s all in the bridge of the song.
- Respect the Privacy: She’s deleted most of her personal history from Instagram for a reason. The era of "over-sharing" ended with the Pete Davidson engagement.
The real story of her relationship history isn't about the men; it's about how she survived the public's obsession with them.