If you’ve been on TikTok recently, or really any social media platforms, you have probably heard about Ms. Ariana Grande’s recent “scandals." The majority of people on the internet have turned against her, but I have a different opinion than the rest.
To quickly summarize the drama unfolding: Ariana Grande, a worldwide pop star, was until recently married to real estate agent Dalton Gomez. They got married in 2021 and recently divorced according to TMZ and other celebrity news sources. The proof: she wasn’t wearing her wedding ring at Wimbledon. Now, the two of them divorcing isn’t the problem here. The problem is the alleged relationship between Ariana and her Wicked co-star Ethan Slater. Ethan Slater, an actor, singer, writer, and composer. Ethan has been married to Lilly Jay since 2018, and they welcomed their first child in 2022, with no reported divorce.
Ever since Ariana’s alleged relationship dropped (a mere three days after Ariana’s divorce with Dalton Gomez went public), the internet has blown up. People have been sharing their personal opinions on both the relationships, as well as bringing up Ariana’s behavior in past relationships. Names like homewrecker, cheater, ‘not a girl’s girl’, and other harsh labels were thrown at her. Now if these rumors are true, some of these names will be well deserved. But the reality of the matter is that nothing has been confirmed! All the news sources reporting on the incident, like TMZ, Glamour, and even Teen Vogue, have really only been using the same anonymous source. How do we know they’re telling the truth? The truth is, we don’t. So why should we all assume?
Another thing I have been noticing is the overwhelming hate put on Ariana. While if the allegations are true, Ariana should be held accountable, I have seen few accusations thrown at Ethan Slater. Ethan is the one who is still reportedly married to his wife of five years and is allegedly in a very public relationship with another woman. Regardless of whether or not it is true, Ariana getting more backlash about this situation than Ethan rubs me the wrong way. In most circumstances like this, the woman always seems to experience more fallout than the man.
Even so, both Ariana and Ethan seem to be taking the high road with their responses. Neither of the celebrities have addressed any of the allegations levied against them and instead have continued on with their lives and work. Ariana has released new products of her makeup line “R.E.M. Beauty,” dropped the 10th anniversary edition of her first album Yours Truly, and wrapped up filming on her and Slater’s film, Wicked.
Ever since Ariana’s alleged relationship dropped (a mere three days after Ariana’s divorce with Dalton Gomez went public), the internet has blown up. People have been sharing their personal opinions on both the relationships, as well as bringing up Ariana’s behavior in past relationships. Names like homewrecker, cheater, ‘not a girl’s girl’, and other harsh labels were thrown at her. Now if these rumors are true, some of these names will be well deserved. But the reality of the matter is that nothing has been confirmed! All the news sources reporting on the incident, like TMZ, Glamour, and even Teen Vogue, have really only been using the same anonymous source. How do we know they’re telling the truth? The truth is, we don’t. So why should we all assume?
Another thing I have been noticing is the overwhelming hate put on Ariana. While if the allegations are true, Ariana should be held accountable, I have seen few accusations thrown at Ethan Slater. Ethan is the one who is still reportedly married to his wife of five years and is allegedly in a very public relationship with another woman. Regardless of whether or not it is true, Ariana getting more backlash about this situation than Ethan rubs me the wrong way. In most circumstances like this, the woman always seems to experience more fallout than the man.
Even so, both Ariana and Ethan seem to be taking the high road with their responses. Neither of the celebrities have addressed any of the allegations levied against them and instead have continued on with their lives and work. Ariana has released new products of her makeup line “R.E.M. Beauty,” dropped the 10th anniversary edition of her first album Yours Truly, and wrapped up filming on her and Slater’s film, Wicked.
In conclusion, while these allegations are serious, in my unpopular opinion, we shouldn’t just assume. At the end of the day, these parasocial relationships aren’t related to us in the slightest. Why are we so invested in things that barely involve us? While they are celebrities who have all of their lives presented to the world, they are also adults who don’t need us to constantly be in their business, making up stories about them. They obviously don’t care, so why should we?
Minali Brosnan
