From the Thank U, Next Video to Real Life Drama – Grande Quickly Rebounds with Co-Star After Marriage Split
Just months after horror stories of her marriage breakdown played out in public, Ariana Grande is once again stirring up controversy with her personal life. The pint-sized pop diva with the larger-than-life voice has finalized her divorce from Dalton Gomez, agreeing to pay her real estate agent ex a cool $1.25 million in spousal support.
But the seven rings on Grande’s finger may not be bare for long – she’s already cozying up to her new boyfriend Ethan Slater, her co-star in the upcoming movie musical Wicked. The whirlwind romance has sparked backlash from fans criticizing the singer for moving on too fast after just two years of marriage.
Court documents revealed this week show the 30-year-old “Break Free” hitmaker will also split the profits from the sale of her luxurious Los Angeles home with Gomez, 27, and cover up to $25,000 of his legal fees. The former couple’s pre-nup spelled out the clean break financial terms after Grande initiated divorce proceedings in September, citing irreconcilable differences.
While the two haven’t confirmed what exactly led to the breakdown of their relationship, it seems the Side to Side singer has wasted no time siding up to her new man Slater instead. The 31-year-old actor is best known for his starring role in SpongeBob the Musical on Broadway before he got caught up in Grande’s vortex of fame.
Photographs have emerged showing the high-profile pair getting cozy and packing on the PDA, fueling fevered speculation from fans that their fling may have started as an on-set affair. Slater conveniently filed for divorce from his wife of four years, ballet dancer Lilly Jay, around the same time Grande’s marriage hit the rocks last year.
A source close to the new couple dismissed the cheating rumors, telling People magazine: “They have a very normal relationship. They mostly enjoy staying in.” The insider insisted “Ariana is serious with Ethan. She loves being with him.”
Yet some are questioning just how normal it is for Grande to so publicly parade her new romance immediately after becoming a divorcee at age 30. The singer’s personal life has been aMedia Nightmare since her whirlwind engagement to comedian Pete Davidson in 2018 before their split later that year.
Grande’s newest album “eternal sunshine,” released this month, also seems to be a thinly-veiled reflection on her latest relationship dramas and upheavals. She has already asked fans on social media not to “send hate” over lyrics they think refer to her tangled love life.
“If you cannot hear [the message of sincere love in the music], please listen more closely,” the hitmaker wrote on Instagram.
Fans are hotly speculating that songs like “the boy is mine” could be about Slater, with others expressing sympathy for Grande’s ex-husband getting the short end of the stick.
“It looks like she traded her husband in for a newer model pretty quickly. That’s got to sting for Dalton,” wrote one commenter on an entertainment news site.
However, some celebrity life coaches insist Grande’s behavior, while turbulent, is no different than many young, rich, famous couples whose marriages buckle under the intense pressure of wealth and success at an early age.
“Ariana’s divorce doesn’t come as a major surprise in that world. What’s noteworthy is how quickly she finalized it and moved on, thanks to good lawyers protecting her interests,” said Hollywood life coach Melissa Baines.
With a starring role in Wicked alongside Cynthia Erivo and her new album earning positive reviews, the Only One who has remained a constant for Grande is her devoted music career. As for her romantic life, it seems the Dangerous Woman is determined to keep taking big risks – and reaping the inevitable publicity rewards that come with it.
