simbernardo
The next-gen version of "Thank U, Next."
When it comes to popstars, it really doesn’t get any bigger than Ariana Grande in 2023. With seven no. 1 songs in the Billboard Hot 100, multiple music videos with over 1 billion views on YouTube, more than 67 million monthly listeners on Spotify, and 337 million followers on Instagram, Grande’s overall popularity and impact on pop culture is undeniable.
Grande spent most of this year filming the two Wicked movies, where she’ll play the character of Glinda starring opposite Cynthia Erivo (Elphaba) and Jonathan Bailey (Fiyero). But during this period of time, little did fans know that her marriage to real estate agent Dalton Gomez was holding on by a thread.
As we get into the reasons behind Grande and Gomez’s divorce and update you on their post-breakup lives, it’s helpful to take a quick dive into their relationship timeline.
June 2020 - Grande announces she’s dating Gomez on Instagram.
Instagram (@arianagrande)
During the pandemic lockdown, Grande started to look for a new home in Los Angeles. As a real estate agent, Gomez happened to show the singer a few Los Angeles area homes. “When she saw him, she immediately thought he was cute and very good-looking,” a source told Us Weekly. “She asked her team to set up an in-person meeting with him. Ariana fell very hard for Dalton shortly after they met.”
A few months later, in June 2020, Grande went Instagram official with Gomez.
December 2020 - They get engaged.
Instagram (@arianagrande)
In December 2020, prior to reaching the one-year mark of their relationship, Gomez proposed to Grande, who said “yes.”
Grande announced their engagement on social media and showed off the massive diamond ring Gomez picked out for the proposal. A source told People, “They couldn’t be happier. They’re just so excited. This is a happy time for them, both sets of parents are thrilled.” Unlike her past relationships, Grande did her best to keep things between her and Gomez as private as possible.
May 2021 - Grande & Gomez tie the knot.
Instagram (@arianagrande)
Grande got married to Gomez in a very intimate wedding in May 2021. According to a profile for Vogue, the ceremony took place at the singer’s home in Montecito, California. Grande referenced Aubrey Hepburn for the aesthetic of the wedding and walked down the aisle wearing a designer gown by Vera Wang.
December 2022/January 2023 - The couple starts considering a divorce.
Instagram (@arianagrande)
Director Jon M. Chu confirmed that filming had officially started in December 2022. “Lost my phone, so I couldn’t keep up today with the announcements especially while we were shooting day three here in London,” Chu wrote on Twitter. “Just know things are going great. The Wicked movie is really happening and I have three days of footage of prove it.”
According to reports, Grande and Gomez had already been experiencing trouble in paradise before she left to go film Wicked… but things got even worse once she went into full production mode for the movies. In fact, a TMZ story claimed that Grande and Gomez had already been separated since January 2023.
July 2023 - Grande and Gomez are getting a divorce.
Getty Images
Even though Grande shared an Instagram post in May 2023 to celebrate the two-year anniversary of her relationship with Gomez, it seems like their marriage was already doomed.
In July 2023, People confirmed that Grande and Gomez were getting a divorce, noting that the singer attended the 2023 Wimbledon Championship without wearing her wedding ring. She was spotted at the event alongside her Wicked costar Jonathan Bailey.
