Ariana Grande Dating History: Every Boyfriend From Big Sean to Ethan Slater

Ariana Grande dating history reads like a chart-topping discography — every relationship has inspired platinum records, emotional ballads, and viral cultural moments. From her teenage romance with an Australian YouTuber to a whirlwind engagement with an SNL comedian to her current chapter alongside a Broadway co-star, the pop superstar’s love life has been as high-profile and fast-moving as her career. Here is every boyfriend, fling, and husband in Ariana Grande’s dating timeline, plus the music each relationship inspired.

A Complete Look at Ariana Grande Dating History

Few celebrities have turned personal heartbreak and romantic joy into musical gold quite like Ariana Grande. Over more than a decade in the spotlight — from her Nickelodeon days on Victorious to her Grammy-winning era — Grande has been linked to at least nine public relationships. Each one arrived with intense media scrutiny, social-media frenzy, and, inevitably, a song (or an entire album) that dissected the experience for millions of fans.

What makes Ariana Grande’s dating history so fascinating isn’t just the famous names attached to it. It’s the pattern: fast-moving connections, genuine emotional vulnerability, and an almost supernatural ability to channel romantic turbulence into art. Let’s walk through every significant relationship in chronological order.

Jai Brooks: The YouTube Romance (2012–2014)

Ariana Grande’s first major public relationship began in 2012 with Jai Brooks, one half of the Australian YouTube duo the Janoskians. The pair connected online after Brooks and his brother created a competition video to win Grande’s attention — and it worked. They dated long-distance for roughly two years, navigating the challenges of an international relationship while both were building their careers.

The romance wasn’t without drama. Brooks publicly accused Grande of cheating on him with Nathan Sykes of The Wanted in 2013, a claim that played out in real time on Twitter. The couple briefly reconciled before splitting for good in 2014. Though short-lived, the relationship marked Grande’s first experience with the tabloid spotlight that would define her love life going forward.

Nathan Sykes: A Brief Musical Connection (2013)

In the middle of her on-again, off-again dynamic with Jai Brooks, Grande was briefly linked to Nathan Sykes, the British singer from The Wanted. The two collaborated on the 2013 single “Almost Is Never Enough” for the Mortal Instruments: City of Bones soundtrack, and their chemistry extended beyond the studio.

They dated for approximately four months in late 2013 before quietly parting ways. Sykes later reflected positively on their time together, and the split appeared amicable. For Grande, it was a brief chapter — but it foreshadowed a recurring theme in her Ariana Grande dating history: connections forged through music.

Big Sean: Hip-Hop’s Power Couple (2014–2015)

By 2014, Ariana Grande was one of the biggest pop stars on the planet, and her relationship with rapper Big Sean felt like a logical headline pairing. The two went public after collaborating on “Right There” and “Best Mistake,” and their red-carpet appearances made them one of Hollywood’s most talked-about couples.

Big Sean had recently ended his engagement to actress Naya Rivera when he and Grande began dating, which attracted its own wave of controversy. The couple lasted roughly eight months before splitting in April 2015. In a joint statement, they cited busy schedules but maintained mutual respect. Big Sean later referenced Grande in his music, and Grande seemingly alluded to him on Thank U, Next — “Thought I’d end up with Sean / But he wasn’t a match.”

Ricky Alvarez: The Backup Dancer and the Donut Incident (2015–2016)

Shortly after her split from Big Sean, Grande began dating Ricky Alvarez, one of her backup dancers. The relationship is perhaps best remembered for the infamous donut-licking incident of July 2015, when surveillance footage from a Lake Elsinore, California, donut shop captured Grande licking donuts on the counter and saying “I hate Americans, I hate America.” The backlash was swift and severe.

Grande issued multiple apologies, and the incident temporarily overshadowed her music career. Despite the controversy, she and Alvarez continued dating quietly until around 2016. On “Thank U, Next,” Grande gave Alvarez a notable shoutout — “Wrote some songs about Ricky / Now I listen and laugh” — suggesting she’d made peace with that turbulent chapter.

Mac Miller: Love, Loss, and Legacy (2016–2018)

Of all the relationships in Ariana Grande’s dating history, her time with rapper and producer Mac Miller is arguably the most emotionally significant. The two had been friends since collaborating on “The Way” in 2013, but their romantic relationship didn’t begin until 2016. When it did, it was intense, public, and deeply creative.

Grande and Miller were frequently photographed together, collaborated on music, and seemed genuinely happy. However, the relationship reportedly grew strained as Miller struggled with substance abuse. They broke up in May 2018, with Grande later addressing the split on social media, pushing back against fans who blamed her for Miller’s well-being.

Tragically, Mac Miller died of an accidental drug overdose on September 7, 2018, at the age of 26. Grande was devastated. She paid tribute through social media posts and, most powerfully, through her music. The Sweetener track “Pete Davidson” was already recorded, but songs on Thank U, Next — including “Ghostin'” and “Imagine” — are widely interpreted as processing her grief over Miller. His death remains one of the defining emotional events of Grande’s life and career.

Pete Davidson: The Whirlwind Engagement (2018)

Just weeks after her breakup with Mac Miller, Ariana Grande began dating Pete Davidson, the Saturday Night Live comedian known for his self-deprecating humor and candid discussions about mental health. The relationship moved at warp speed — within a month they were engaged, Davidson had gifted Grande a reported $93,000 engagement ring, and both had gotten multiple tattoos for each other.

The engagement dominated pop culture throughout the summer of 2018. Grande and Davidson were everywhere — matching outfits, joint red-carpet appearances, and an apartment they shared in New York City. But the fairy tale unraveled quickly. Following the devastating death of Mac Miller in September and the lingering trauma from the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing, Grande called off the engagement in October 2018.

The breakup spawned what many consider Grande’s creative peak. “Thank U, Next” — released just weeks after the split — became an instant cultural phenomenon, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album of the same name followed in February 2019 and cemented Grande’s status as a generational pop icon. Davidson, for his part, addressed the relationship extensively in his comedy specials and on SNL.

Mikey Foster: The Rumored Romance (2019)

In 2019, Grande was rumored to be dating Mikey Foster, one half of the musical duo Social House. The pair had collaborated on the hit single “Boyfriend,” and their chemistry in the music video and on tour fueled speculation. However, neither Grande nor Foster ever publicly confirmed a relationship, and the rumors faded relatively quickly. It remains one of the more ambiguous entries in Ariana Grande’s dating timeline.

Dalton Gomez: Marriage, Real Estate, and Divorce (2020–2024)

Ariana Grande’s relationship with Dalton Gomez, a Los Angeles-based luxury real estate agent, marked a deliberate departure from her usual pattern of dating fellow entertainers. The couple began dating in January 2020 and quarantined together during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic — a period that seemed to accelerate their bond.

Grande confirmed the relationship in the music video for “Stuck with U” featuring Justin Bieber in May 2020. By December 2020, they were engaged, and the couple married in an intimate ceremony at Grande’s Montecito, California, home on May 15, 2021. The wedding was small — reportedly just 20 guests — and the photos Grande shared showed a stunning Vera Wang gown and an elegant, understated celebration.

For a time, the marriage seemed like Grande’s happy ending. But by early 2023, reports surfaced that the couple had separated. Grande filed for divorce in September 2023, and the divorce was finalized in March 2024. The split coincided with Grande’s growing closeness to Ethan Slater on the set of Wicked, which generated significant tabloid coverage and public debate.

Ethan Slater: A Wicked New Chapter (2023–Present)

Grande’s current relationship with Ethan Slater — the Tony-nominated actor best known for originating the role of SpongeBob SquarePants on Broadway — began under intense scrutiny. The two met on the London set of Jon M. Chu’s film adaptation of Wicked, where Grande stars as Glinda and Slater plays Boq.

Reports of their romance emerged in July 2023, while both were still technically married to other people. Slater was married to his high school sweetheart, Lilly Jay, with whom he shares a young son. The overlapping timelines drew criticism from some corners of the media and public, though sources close to both maintained that their respective marriages had already ended before the relationship began.

Since going public, Grande and Slater have been spotted together at various events, and Grande has appeared notably happier in interviews while promoting Wicked. The film’s massive commercial and critical success — earning over $700 million at the global box office and landing multiple award nominations — has given their relationship a more positive narrative arc. As of 2026, the couple appears to be going strong, with Slater frequently by Grande’s side at premieres and industry events.

How Ariana Grande’s Relationships Shaped Her Music

Looking back at Ariana Grande’s dating history, the most remarkable through-line is how each relationship has directly fueled her artistic evolution. The vulnerability of “Ghostin'” after Mac Miller’s death, the defiant celebration of “Thank U, Next” after Pete Davidson, the quiet contentment of “Positions” during her time with Dalton Gomez — Grande has turned every romantic chapter into a musical one.

Her willingness to name names, reference specific moments, and process grief and joy in real time through her music has created an unprecedented level of fan engagement. Listeners don’t just hear Ariana Grande songs — they experience the emotional arc of her life. It’s a formula that has made her one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with over 90 million records sold worldwide.

Whether her relationship with Ethan Slater becomes another album’s worth of material or marks a more private, settled chapter, one thing is certain: Ariana Grande’s dating history is inseparable from her legacy as an artist. Every boyfriend, every heartbreak, and every new beginning has helped shape the music that defines a generation.