Why did Ariana Grande say thank u, next to ex-husband Dalton Gomez?
While the Grammy winner never publicly addressed her July split from the real estate broker, fans have a renewed interest after listening to her new album eternal sunshine.
The March 8 album pays homage to the 2005 film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind—where a former couple erase memories of each other after they break up. And the music video for "we can't be friends" recreates the film's scene when Clementine (now played by Ariana) wipes her memories of her ex (Evan Peters). And fans were quick to try and connect the dots.
"You can tell this wasn't just her being a good actress," one user on Youtube reflected. "You can feel her raw emotion so deeply." A fan on X, formerly known as Twitter, explained that one snippet from the video may be referencing a memory of Dalton's birthday. And after watching the music video, another simply asked, "is 'we can't be friends' about ariana & dalton ?"
E! News reached out to Ariana's reps and hasn't heard back.
After first sparking romance rumors when they were seen kissing in early 2020, Ariana and Dalton tied the knot in May 2021 before splitting two years later. Not long after, she made headlines for her relationship with Ethan Slater—who had recently separated from wife of four years Lilly Jay, with whom he shares a son.
Even though the 30-year-old didn't explicitly note that the album was inspired by her divorce from Dalton, she did share that it was about navigating an emotional breakup.
Of her song "i wish i hated you," Ariana said on The Zach Sang Show March 8, "I think it's like a very important color to exist within the album, because it's just an important piece of the puzzle to me—that I'm happy to acknowledge the goodness, I really am, and the efforts and that it just was not correct. And I don't need to pretend that you're a monster to make peace with this ending."
"Grieving would be so much easier if we hated a person," she continued. "It's like ‘good riddance,' but no, capturing the complexity of ‘what happens if I don't' is imperative. It's protective as well."
Take a step back in time and relive Ariana and Dalton's relationship.
The pair confirm their relationship in May and makes their first public appearance in Ariana and Justin Bieber's music video for "Stuck With U."
Since the duo began dating in early 2020, they haven't really been seen in public. However, in mid-May, they were spotted out and about in Los Angeles, Calif. Making their afternoon hang-out cuter? They wore matching face masks.
The pop star took her romance to the next level after making things IG official in June. At the time, the singer celebrated her birthday early by sharing rare photos of herself with Dalton and her dogs. A separate source told E! News the pair met through mutual friends, explaining, "They run in the same circle... She's gotten to know him quickly with the quarantine. They've been spending a lot of one-on-one time at home."
In October, a source told E! News the couple was still going strong. "Ariana is still madly in love with Dalton and is head over heels," the source raved. "It's a very healthy relationship. They love to be 'normal' and Ari loves that he is very down to earth. He balances her out from the crazy industry she is in. They spend a lot of time hanging out at her house being low-key."
The positions singer packed on the PDA with her beau in early December. "some life stuff," she wrote about her relationship update.
The "7 Rings" singer shared the exciting news that she and the real estate broker were engaged. "forever n then some," she expressed on Instagram on Dec. 20.
After announcing the engagement news, many of the singer's friends sent their love and support. "oh my godddd...," Millie Bobby Brown shared, "love u!! you deserve eternal happiness!!" Demi Lovato replied, "this ring is everything!!!!. I love ypu [sic]." Hailey Bieber added, "YAYYYYYY!!!! so happy for you guys!!"
A source close to Ariana told E! News about their engagement, saying, "It's a happy time. Everyone is happy, families are happy. They could not be more excited."
The couple cozies up together to celebrate the holidays.
The two celebrate Christmas 2020 with her mom (not pictured), brother Frankie Grande and close friends.
The pop star gushes over the real estate broker in April 2021, writing, "!!! my heart my person !!! thank u so much for being u."
The couple, who has kept a low profile since confirming their relationship, were spotted grabbing a late-night dinner in March 2021.
Ariana and Dalton are officially husband and wife, her rep confirms to E! News in May 2021. The couple tied the knot in a private wedding ceremony held at her Montecito, Calif. home.
After months without being photographed together, multiple outlets confirm that Ariana and Dalton have broken up. The duo was last spotted together in London in January amid her filming schedule for Wicked.