Ariana Grande shocked fans in 2021 when she revealed she had secretly married real estate agent Dalton Gomez after a whirlwind few months of dating. Two years later, fans were dealt another surprise when news emerged of the couple's separation.
Fans first began to question whether Ariana had split from Dalton last year, when she was spotted at the Wimbledon finals without her wedding ring, sitting alongside Andrew Garfield and Jonathan Bailey.
Ariana and Dalton's relationship had been long-distance for months, with the 'Thank U, Next' singer's role in the film adaptation of hit musical Wicked seeing her move to the UK. A source alleged to TMZ at the time that the couple had been separated since January and were 'heading towards divorce.'
But you'd be forgiven for not knowing who Dalton is. Apart from a few selfies on Instagram, the couple kept their relationship fairly low-key and out of the spotlight – in contrast to her very public engagement with comedian ex Pete Davidson (the pair split in October 2018).
Who is Dalton Gomez?
Unlike many of Ari's previous flames, 28-year-old Dalton isn't in the entertainment industry (although he does call Miley Cyrus his best friend). He's a luxury estate agent working with homes worth millions of dollars, and is himself thought to be worth £15 million. (We wonder if he watches Selling Sunset?) The company he works for, the Aaron Kirman Group, says that he 'holds one of the largest rolodexes of A-list buyers' and is known for his 'extensive knowledge in the fields of architecture and luxury estate'. Apparently, Dalton also used to be a dancer.
How did Ariana and Dalton meet?
First linked in March 2020 when they were spotted kissing at a bar, the pair apparently met when Dalton was scouted by the pop star's team to sell her a property.
Ariana, 31, and Dalton publicly confirmed their romance in May through a joint appearance in the video for her single with Justin Bieber, 'Stuck With U'. The two quarantined together during the Covid-19 pandemic, with a source saying it was during this time that Ariana realised Dalton was 'very special'. The relationship marked her first romance since her well-publicised engagement – and break-up – with comedian Pete Davidson.
By Christmas 2020, the couple were engaged. 'Forever n then some,' Ariana posted in a since-deleted post on 20 December. Fans were quick to notice that her diamond ring – rumoured to be worth £261,000 – contains a pearl that appears to be from her grandfather's tie pin, which she posted about in 2014.
In May 2021, a year after making their relationship public, the couple tied the knot. A lowkey affair for such a high-profile romance, it was a 'tiny' ceremony, said to have fewer than 20 guests.
What have Ariana and Dalton said about their divorce?
Although the couple initially chose not to address online speculation over the split, their divorce was settled in March 2024, one year after their formal separation. It was reported that Ariana was required to make a one-time payment of $1.25 million to Gomez, and would pay up to $25,000 toward his attorney fees. Dalton was reportedly also set to receive half the processing from the sale of their Los Angeles home.
When Ariana released her album Eternal Sunshine earlier this year, there seemed to be plenty of reflections on her divorce in the lyrics. Describing the album as 'part concept album, part autobiographical,' Ariana said, 'I'm so nervous because pieces of it touch on things that are real.' The star also called out track two, titled 'Bye', as being at least partly about her breakup, explaining, 'The loss and grief that you hear in some of the album, some of the heartbreak stuff, there was so much love and transparency. I tried to make sure it was kind and giving credit for trying and for the goodness that there was. So that was a tricky balance for me, because I definitely had some sessions where I was writing more emotionally and reactively, but that's also very human so I didn't want to erase all of it.'
As of yet, Dalton hasn't spoken about the split.
Who is Dalton dating now?
Never fear - Dalton is now happily loved-up following his divorce. His new girlfriend is actor Maika Dillon Monroe, with the couple going Instagram official in June 2024.
Hard launching their romance, Maika shared a snap on Instagram of the couple kissing, as well as another of them snuggling up on a boat.
Meanwhile, Ariana is dating her Wicked co-star Ethan Slater. Their romance initially sparked backlash as Ethan was also recently single, having split from the mother of his child, Lilly Jay. However, sources have insisted that both Ari and Ethan were separated when they began dating.
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