‘Thank U Next’: A Look Back At Ariana Grande’s Ex-Boyfriends

From her long-term romance with Mac Miller to her sensational five-month fling with Pete Davidson, Ariana Grande has had a wild dating history. We imagine the drama behind the scenes of each relationship could rival a series of Harlequin novels. The “Thank U, Next” singer is currently linked to a new beau, but thanks to her music, she’s forever connected to some of her former flames. Let’s take a look at her history of ex-boyfriends.

Graham Phillips

Ariana met Riverdale alum Graham Phillips in 2008 on the set of the Broadway musical 13. The two dated for three years and even recorded a song together in 2010 (“Stick Around,” which was briefly uploaded to YouTube, was eventually removed.) Alas, the singer was only 15 when they met, so the couple eventually parted ways. However, they remain on friendly terms. In 2016, they hung out at a 13 reunion dinner in Los Angeles, and as recently as last year, they were spotted having dinner in New York City.

Jordan Viscomi

Following her split from Graham Phillips, Ariana moved on to a two-month relationship with back-up dancer Jordan Viscomi. Fan sites speculate that Viscomi was only using the singer to advance his own career (he’s also danced for Nicki Minaj and the Jonas Brothers). But whatever the truth is, we definitely know that the short-lived romance ended in a wretched fashion.

“Yeah, like we were filming one season [of Nickelodeon’s Victorious] and I went through this horrible, horrendous breakup,” Grande told Just Jared Jr. at the time. “My heart was broken and shattered. I was crying through hair and makeup. Like I couldn’t even pull myself together.”

Don’t weep for her, though. The star made a point to brush it off, adding, “Then when I started playing Cat, I forgot all about it.”

Jai Brooks

From 2012 to 2014, Grande dated Australian YouTube prankster Jai Brooks. The two managed to pull of a long-distance relationship for quite some time, but things got ugly after their break-up. In a 2013 Twitter rant, Brooks publicly accused Grande of cheating on him with Nathan Sykes.

Grande immediately did damage control via a YouTube vid with 4Music. “I feel like how he handled it was a bit unexpected, but at the end of the day, my family, my friends, and my true fans know the type of person that I am,” she said. “Those kind of accusations being thrown at me are completely false. More than anything, just hurtful and shocking.”

Nathan Sykes

Ariana’s next boyfriend was indeed Nathan Sykes of British-Irish boy band The Wanted. The two collaborated on a duet, “Almost is Never Enough,” and Grande gushed to the press that her new man romanced her with French confections and flowers. But in December 2013, she confirmed in a Florida radio station interview that the relationship had ended. Sykes went on to a solo career, and in 2015, he confessed that one of his songs was written about Ariana.

However, Grande did not return the favor. When addressing her exes in “Thank U, Next,” Sykes was left out of the conversation.

“[I was] very young when that happened,” he told TMZ, showing no hard feelings. “It’s been a long time. I’ve obviously grown up a lot. It’s a long time ago.”

Big Sean

For about nine months between 2014 and 2015, Grande dated rapper Big Sean. And like her relationship with Sykes, she used the romance as an opportunity to produce new music with her boyfriend at the time: “Right There” (2013) and “Best Mistake” (2014).

Even after their break-up, she relied on him for material—”Thought I’d end up with Sean, but it wasn’t a match,” she sings in the opening line of “Thank U, Next.”

Ricky Alvarez

Shortly after her split with Big Sean, Ariana entered a year-long relationship with one of her dancers, Ricky Alvarez. While her beau wasn’t a big name celebrity, he will always be remembered by fans for his role in Grande’s infamous #Doughnutgate incident. Their break-up was reportedly amicable, with a source telling E! News, “She broke up with him. He didn’t cheat or anything, they just found it difficult to make it work.”

Mac Miller

Ariana first hooked up with Mac Miller on a professional level when they collaborated on her 2013 debut single “The Way.” But they maintained a friendship and dated from 2016 to 2018, making it one of the longest relationships in her dating history. Ariana was even seen sporting a diamond on her ring finger during her 2017 Dangerous Woman tour, but the couple never officially confirmed an engagement and broke things off the next year.

In September 2018, while Ariana had already moved on to a new man, Miller died of an accidental drug overdose. Devastated by the tragedy, she sang in “Thank U, Next,” “Wish I could say thank you to Malcolm / ‘Cause he was an angel.”

Pete Davidson

Ariana’s relationship with Saturday Night Live’s Pete Davidson is perhaps the most dramatic one of all. The two started dating in 2018 and within weeks, they were engaged. Tabloids ate it all up: the matching tattoos, the tweets about his penis size, the $16 million New York City pad they rushed to move into together.

But the couple split shorty after Mac Miller’s death. Some fans suspected that her ex’s passing was too much to bear, but Davidson will never tell. On SNL, he said to viewers, “The truth is, it’s nobody’s business. Sometimes things just don’t work out. She’s a wonderful strong person and I wish her all the happiness in the world.”

Ariana adds her two cents on “Thank U, Next,” singing, “Even almost got married / And for Pete, I’m so thankful.”

Mikey Foster

In August 2019, after a break from dating, Ariana was rumored to be in a relationship with Mikey Foster of Social House. The two made out in the music video for “Boyfriend,” and Foster’s group joined Grande as the opening act for her Sweetener world tour. But by March 2020—days after they were spotted arm-in-arm at Disneyland—the two reportedly broke up. Neither Grande or Foster ever confirmed the nature of their relationship to the press.

Who Is Ariana Grande Dating Now?

Ariana’s relationship with Foster may have overlapped with the beginning of a romance with her latest boyfriend. Around Valentine’s Day, paparazzi caught the singer making out with Los Angeles real estate agent Dalton Gomez. The rumor has it the pair have been in quarantine together, and while she’s shared some pics of him on Instagram, she’s erring on the side of caution when it comes to publicizing their status. Days after news broke that they were an item, she wrote in a since-deleted Instagram story that internet critics had forced her to become a little more private about her love life.

In April 2020, when 24-year-old Florence Pugh defended her relationship with Zach Braff on social media, Ariana re-posted the vid, adding, “Sharing special, personal life things that make u happy on the internet can be truly traumatic. I know I’ve taken a step back from doing so to protect my loved ones and myself…”

That said, Grande is obviously a romantic who is prone to whirlwind relationships. Only time will tell, but we suspect it won’t be long before she gives into the temptation of sharing her latest love with the world.