Why Ariana Grande and Dalton Gomez’s May Reconciliation Attempt Failed

Regarding the relationship breakdown, COVID-19 and fame were largely to blame. (Fans quickly pointed out that the reason is quite similar to what sources said led to Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn’s breakup in April.) Like Alwyn with Swift, Gomez had trouble with the scale of Grande’s celebrity once COVID-19 restrictions lifted. Grande and Gomez started dating shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the U.S., first being spotted publicly in February 2019.

As sources connected to the couple put it to TMZ, during COVID-19, “they were everything to each other: company, romance, support, all of it.”

Once the restrictions lifted, Gomez, a Los Angeles real estate agent, “was taken aback by Ariana’s celebrity. He had not dealt with her schedule, the paparazzi and the various opportunities that took her out of L.A.,” TMZ wrote. The outlet noted he questioned why they needed security when they went out sometimes.

By January, one month into Grande shooting Wicked in the U.K., Gomez and Grande were living separate lives, TMZ reported. Gomez even has been dating “over the last few months,” with Grande’s blessing.

Gomez and Grande tried dating one last time in May. “That lasted 2 weeks before they both threw in the towel,” TMZ wrote, adding that the former couple was “shocked” no one picked up on their separation until this past weekend.

A source spoke to People about why Gomez couldn’t visit Grande more frequently, and how their career demands ultimately made it difficult for them to maintain a relationship. “She was happy in Los Angeles for a couple of years,” the source began. “She wanted to make a life there with Dalton.”

But Gomez couldn’t travel to see Grande when her job took her out of town, like it did for Wicked. “He is super focused on his career and needs to live in Los Angeles,” the source said. “It’s definitely been an issue for them. Dalton’s career is demanding and he can’t leave Los Angeles often. So when [Grande] started filming Wicked in England, they were in for a long-distance marriage.” Although that ultimately “didn’t work, Ari has nothing but kind words to say about Dalton. During their marriage, he was her No. 1 fan.”

Us Weekly also reported yesterday that the couple’s issues started just months ago, although they predate Grande leaving to work on Wicked. “Things had been going really well for Ariana and Dalton since they got married,” the source said. “But unfortunately, they hit a rough patch a few months ago and haven’t been able to recover.”

A second source added, “They were having issues before she left for Wicked filming [in London] that they couldn’t resolve, and the distance did not help.”

Senior News and Strategy Editor

Alyssa Bailey is the senior news and strategy editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage of celebrities and royals (particularly Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton). She previously held positions at InStyle and Cosmopolitan. When she’s not working, she loves running around Central Park, making people take #ootd pics of her, and exploring New York City.