On May 15, 2021, Ariana Grande secretly made one of the biggest moves of her life: She married her fiancé and partner of over a year, Los Angeles real estate agent Dalton Gomez. The pair got engaged just ahead of the Christmas holiday, less than a year after the two were first seen together in February. On May 26, Grande shared the first photos from their wedding, taken by Stefan Kohli. The shots gave the public a rare and intimate look at the two together.
Gomez and Grande had publicly been together for over a year and privately longer. But they always kept their relationship out of the limelight, from the very beginning.
TMZ reported in late March 2020 that the man Ariana Grande was seen making out with around Valentine’s Day was actually Gomez, and he had been her new boyfriend for “several months,” according to the outlet’s Grande sources. People and E! independently reported the same news hours later: that Grande is off the market but has been keeping her new relationship private.
Grande and Gomez quarantined together, and he appeared on her Instagram Story, TMZ pointed out.
The singer confirmed their relationship in her “Stuck With U” music video on May 8, 2020. On May 26, 2020, Grande gave Gomez his first proper Instagram shoutout.
Gomez made his Instagram private right as news broke of their dating, but Grande did follow him. Amid news in July 2023 of their separation, Gomez’s Instagram appears to have been disabled or deleted. Gomez and Grande ultimately filed for divorce in September 2023.
So who is Gomez? Here, all you need to know about him and his relationship with Grande, including info about their private wedding and what led the couple to privately separate in January 2023.
Gomez works for Aaron Kirman Group as a luxury home realtor.
According to his bio on the site, Gomez was raised in southern California and has been working in the luxury real estate market for five years. He works with A-list buyers and has sold multi-million dollar homes.
TMZ points out he has other celebrity friends. He shared an Instagram Story of himself hanging out with Miley Cyrus in July 2017.
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Gomez and Grande wed in her Montecito house in May 2021.
A little over a year after Grande and Gomez made their first public appearance together, the two have wed, TMZ and E! report. A rep for Grande confirmed the wedding on May 17, detailing that the two wed in a private ceremony in her Montecito home over the weekend.
As for why the venue was chosen, a source told People, “Both Ari and Dalton love Montecito. They spend a lot of time there. It seems only natural that they would get married at Ari’s beautiful and historic house.”
An insider describes the gathering to E! as “tiny and intimate. There was a lot of love and everyone is really happy.” TMZ was told by sources that there were less than 20 guests, and the nuptials were informal. There was no real “ceremony,” per the outlet, just a casual vow exchange. Neither Grande nor Gomez have posted about the news immediately after it broke.
E! was told that “hundreds of white florals” were used as decor. “It was beautiful but not over the top,” a source said. “Ari wanted it to be simplistic and tasteful. All they cared about was having family there and to be able to enjoy the special moment together.”
On May 26, Grande shared photos from their wedding, taken by Stefan Kohli, in three Instagram posts. She confirmed their wedding date was May 15. She wore a Vera Wang dress for her nuptials.
Grande and Gomez filed for divorce simultaneously on September 18, 2023.
Grande’s lawyer Laura Wasser was the first to file for divorce on Monday, September 18, citing “irreconcilable differences” as their reason for splitting. Gomez filed after. Their date of separation was listed as February 20, 2023.
Sources explained to TMZ that Grande and Gomez worked everything out before they filed. Grande will “cut Dalton a check, and that will be that,” the outlet wrote.
A source revealed to TMZ that there are no hard feelings between them, and their delay in filing was just because the former couple was sorting out everything and settling in private.
Grande and Gomez separated in January 2023. In July 2023, TMZ broke the news they were headed for a divorce.
Grande sparked speculation that she and Gomez may have broken up when she attended Wimbledon on July 16, 2o23, not wearing her wedding band. A day later, TMZ confirmed that Grande and Gomez had privately separated in January, per multiple sources connected to the couple. Their issues predated Grande going abroad to the U.K. to shoot Wicked in December. The outlet reported that privately, Grande and Gomez tried to reconcile a few months ago, but the effort failed.
Grande and Gomez are still on good terms though, with the outlet describing them “friends [who] still talk on the phone regularly.” Their romance has ended though, and one source characterized them as “heading for divorce.”
Grande did not immediately comment on the report.
Gomez and Grande tried reconciling in May 2023 after living separate lives. It didn’t work out.
In the first day after TMZ broke the news of Grande and Gomez’s split, more outlets received details on the private effort they made the reconcile. TMZ reported that Gomez and Grande lived separate lives starting in January; they tried reconciling briefly in May but after two weeks, called it. Entertainment Tonight received more intel from a source on that last-ditch effort. “Dalton went to Europe recently to be with Ariana and try to work things out between them,” the source said. “But it just wasn’t working. They were having issues for a while, but they are trying to be as respectful as they can and protect each other’s privacy through this breakup.”
Gomez struggled with Grande’s celebrity after COVID-19. He has been dating again in the months since the separation with Grande’s blessing.
Sources told TMZ that Gomez has already begun dating again with Grande’s blessing since they separated. The outlet reported that Gomez struggled with Grande’s fame once COVID-19 restrictions lifted.
A source also noted to People that distance was a factor as Gomez’s work keeps him in Los Angeles.“She was happy in Los Angeles for a couple of years. She wanted to make a life there with Dalton,” the source started.
“He is super focused on his career and needs to live in Los Angeles,” the source continued. “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.”
As of August 2023, Gomez is still struggling with his impending divorce from Grande.
On August 25, Gomez was photographed out in public for the first time since his breakup from Grande was announced. He appeared downcast in photos and was no longer wearing his wedding ring. A source spoke to Us Weekly on August 28 and confirmed that Gomez was still having trouble with the split.
“It’s been a little while since Ariana and Dalton split, but he’s been adjusting to his new normal and learning to accept it for what it is,” the source said. “It’s certainly not how he expected things to play out because he obviously assumed they would be together forever.”
“He never imagined he would be going through a divorce in the public eye,” the source added. “But he’s hanging in there and is grateful for his friends and family who have been really supportive.”
In mid-September 2023, a source said Gomez was “not completely over” Grande but trying to date again.
On September 13, a source told Entertainment Tonight that Gomez is still healing from the end of his and Grande’s marriage. “[He’s] throwing himself into work and working harder than ever since his split from Ariana,” the source said. “He is trying to stay distracted and keep himself busy in positive ways.”
As for his love life, Gomez “is dating a little bit and a lot of girls are giving Dalton attention. He is not completely over his relationship with Ariana, but he is doing his best to move forward.”
The update came a day after a source claimed to Daily Mail that Grande hadn’t completely let Gomez go. “It seems as if Ariana is holding onto Dalton in case things with Ethan don’t work. It is just so strange that she is living with Ethan and has not filed documents to end it with Dalton,” the source alleged. Of course, neither Grande, Gomez, nor Slater have commented on any of this.
Gomez gave Grande a pearl and diamond engagement ring and a platinum diamond wedding band.
Grande broke the news of their engagement on December 20, sharing rare photos of them together and showing off the diamond and pearl ring that Gomez gave her. “forever n then some,” Grande wrote. The engagement comes 10 months after the couple were first seen in public together in February 2020.
People reported that Gomez gave Grande a platinum, diamond wedding band he helped design. Solow & Co designed the band, and a spokesperson for Solow & Co told People that “they worked with Dalton on this. It’s a beautiful, tasteful platinum and diamond pave band. Dalton was very happy with it.”
Gomez and Grande honeymooned in Amsterdam in July 2021.
Grande didn’t keep the couple’s honeymoon destination a complete secret. On July 11, she shared a gallery of honeymoon photos featuring her and Gomez in Amsterdam.
In February 2022, Grande shared a rare look at their life together.
Grande and Gomez kissed in a photo she shared of them on her Instagram two days after Valentine’s Day. Grande wore a lace black dress alongside her suited up husband.
In March 2022, Grande offered another rare look at Gomez at home.
Grande shared a series of photos of her and her friends, including her husband Gomez. “home is wherever these humans (and dogs) happen to be :),” she wrote. Gomez appears in the second slide:
Grande kicked off the 2022 holiday season by sharing some photos of Gomez on her Instagram, including one of them together.
On November 29, 2022, Grande shared a gallery of images including rare snaps of her husband. It was captionless, but within its first five hours up, had already garnered 3.4 million likes.
For Valentine’s Day 2023, Grande gave another rare look at her and Gomez’s relationship in a tribute to him.
Grande, who had kept a relatively low profile on social media while shooting Wicked, posted two Instagram Stories to celebrate her husband on Valentine’s Day 2023. She reposted his tribute to her from his private Instagram (“my forever Valentine,” he wrote) and added her own post of just him, tagging him.
Gomez is seen by Grande’s family as a grounding force in her life who is unfazed by her celebrity.
Grande and Gomez have kept most details about their relationship out of the press. But after their May 2021 wedding, sources spoke to Entertainment Tonight and People about what the two’s relationship is like.
“Ariana’s brother Frankie and her mom are so happy for her. They think Dalton really balances Ariana out and allows her to be her true self,” Entertainment Tonight‘s source said. “Ariana appreciates that Dalton accepts her and loves her for who she is. He’s a little nerdy and hardworking and she loves that about him. He’s also very protective over her and goes above and beyond to make her happy.”
Two sources spoke to People after the wedding.
A friend told the outlet that “they’re a great fit together. Dalton’s entirely unfazed by the scope of her celebrity and is very grounding for her. He’s young but mature and knows what he wants out of life.”
A second source said that “he is very hardworking and focused. He is low-key and doesn’t like attention. He isn’t impressed by celebrities. He is perfect for her. Their life together is pretty special.”
Gomez and Grande quarantined together.
Gomez appeared on Grande’s social media, hanging on her couch and petting her dog. TMZ’s sources told the outlet that the two were “seeing each other for several months now.”
People’s source confirmed that Grande “has been with the same group of people for days” on March 25. “One of the people she is with right now is Dalton—they have been hanging out for a couple of months. Ariana doesn’t want to do another public relationship so she is trying to keep this one quiet, but she seems very happy with Dalton.”
Another source updated Entertainment Tonight on the couple’s quarantine at the end of May 2020. The insider said Grande is “in a really good place” but is in no rush to share her private life with him on social media. “Ariana has had some hesitation being so public about her relationship with Dalton as she’s seen how that has worn on her past relationships [like with Pete Davidson and Mac Miller],” the source told ET, adding, “Dalton and Ariana are in Los Angeles together during quarantine, and it has been a great opportunity for them to spend quality time together.”
Grande has shared public tributes to Gomez on both his and her birthdays.
While Grande hasn’t shared extensive details about her relationship on social media, she offered a little glimpse of it during her and Gomez’s birthdays. In late June, Grande went ’gram official with Gomez in honor of her 27th birthday. She posted a series of photos, one of which was a cuddled-up selfie of the couple. “almost 27 :)” she captioned the post.
After celebrating her 27th birthday with a Midsommar-themed birthday affair, Grande shared a few more snaps of herself and Gomez kissing.
Ariana Grande//Instagram
For Gomez’s 25th birthday in 2020, Grande gave the biggest glimpse into their relationship yet on Instagram. She shared several photos and videos of the pair, writing, “hbd to my baby my best friend my fav part of all the days 🙂 i love u.” He wasn’t tagged in the post, but she also hasn’t disabled the comments—a difference from her last post featuring Gomez.
For Gomez’s 26th birthday in 2021, Grande posted a tribute with what looks like a photo from their Amsterdam honeymoon:
“happy birthday to my baby my husband my best friend,” she wrote on her Instagram Story post. “i love you infinitely.”
Ariana Grande//Instagram
She also shared this black-and-white image from their wedding:
Ariana Grande//Instagram
Grande shared the first footage of her and Gomez together in her and Justin Bieber’s “Stuck With U” music video.
Grande confirmed her and Gomez’s relationship during the final minute of “Stuck With U.” The two appear dancing and showing PDA together. This is Grande’s first public acknowledgement of their relationship.
YouTube
YouTube
Grande gave Gomez his first Instagram shoutout in late May 2020.
Grande featured a clear shot and footage of Gomez on her Instagram Story on May 26. Gomez had helped her with her and Lady Gaga’s Chromatica Weather Girls short. She captioned a shot of him creating “rain” for the video with emojis. It was one of the first unobscured shots she’s shared of him. Gomez was hooded in her “Stuck With U” music video, which was the first glimpse she gave the public of their relationship.
Gomez and Grande were first seen together in mid-February 2020.
In February, footage came out of Grande making out with Gomez at Bar Louie in Northridge, California. She arrived with him and her friends at 1 a.m. and stayed for about 30 minutes. Grande just had water there, TMZ reported at the time, while her friends drank. The guy she kissed “wasn’t instantly recognizable.”
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Since she seems to be ready to reveal this, here is part of my old thread: Ariana is dating Dalton Gomez, a real estate agent. pic.twitter.com/x8VXiifhMF
— ~M (fan account) (@letmeluvme) March 22, 2020
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Finally, last night Ariana posted several stories on instagram where Dalton is clearly seen. In the one he pets Toulouse, you can get a glimpse of an offering bowl he has, as posted by his brother Dakota. pic.twitter.com/DHdqupUyyA
— ~M (fan account) (@letmeluvme) March 22, 2020
Grande was last linked romantically to Social House’s Mikey Foster. But multiple sources confirmed to ELLE in September that actually, Grande had been single. Grande and Gomez’s relationship is her first remotely public one since her engagement to Pete Davidson ended in October 2018.
Grande and Gomez have many mutual friends.
No outlet has reported specifically on how the two met, but E! was told by a source at the end of March that the two share a lot of friends. “[They] run in the same circle,” the source said. “He used to be a dancer, and they have many mutual friends. She’s gotten to know him quickly with the quarantine. They’ve been spending a lot of one on one time at home.”
Grande admitted she’s purposely keeping her love life more private now.
Grande hasn’t posted on social media about Gomez. She explained why days after news broke that they’re dating. Grande wrote on a since-deleted Instagram Story that the internet’s criticism of her personal life led her to choose to share less of it on social media.
Grande shared the video Florence Pugh posted defending her boyfriend Zach Braff after he was bullied by fans on Pugh’s IG because of his 21-year age gap with Pugh . “I am 24 years old,” Pugh told those fans in her video. “I do not need you to tell me who I should and should not love. And I would never in my life ever, ever tell anyone who they can and cannot love. It is not your place. And really, it has nothing to do with you. So if those rules are something that you do not like, then please unfollow me because the abuse that you throw at him is abuse that you’re throwing at me.”
Grande praised Pugh for her statement and wrote that it resonated deeply with her because of her own experience sharing her life online. “Sharing special, personal life things that make u happy on the internet can be truly traumatic,” Grande said. “I know I’ve taken a step back from doing so to protect my loved ones and myself but I just wanted to share this and let u know how perfectly u expressed this and how appreciated u are for doing so @florencepugh.”
Buzzfeed//Instagram
Gomez helped Grande find her current house in Los Angeles.
Sleuth fans noticed Grande follows both Gomez and his tattoo artist brother Dakota. One pointed out that Gomez and Aaron Kirman had the listing for the property she purchased. He also commented “This gurl cute” on her Instagram Live in March, the fan pointed out, to which Grande responded “I feel blessed.”
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Now to the more solid proof. Ariana has gone live on instagram yesterday, and one particular comment made her say “I feel blessed.” This comment is by Dalton, and her response is in a little delay, like responses usually are in a live stream on instagram. pic.twitter.com/WG08R9xokq
— ~M (fan account) (@letmeluvme) March 22, 2020
A source confirmed this account to Us Weekly. “Ariana was looking for a home outside of Los Angeles to be her getaway house, and her team found Dalton to help,” the insider explained. “When she saw him, she immediately thought he was cute and very good-looking, and she asked her team to set up an in-person meeting with him. Ariana fell very hard for Dalton shortly after they met.”
Seven-plus months into their relationship, a source said Gomez is who Grande “has been looking for,” and things are serious.
The fact that Grande and Gomez are keeping their dating low-key isn’t the only difference between him and her exes. A source told Us Weekly in late Augustthat Gomez really takes care of her. Grande’s previous boyfriends never “met her needs in the same way Dalton does. Her exes acted as though she was demanding and had crazy standards,” the source said.
That source added that Gomez “is the type of guy she has been looking for. He’s very protective of her, will go out of his way for her and does little things that are chivalrous. Dalton will go above and beyond to meet her needs.”
Given that things have really escalated. Us’s source said that “their relationship is serious. They’ve fallen madly in love with each other.”
A few days after this update on their relationship, Gomez attended the MTV VMAs by Grande’s side. She posted a photo of the pair holding hands on Instagram, sneakily placing it as the last pic in the post. Us’s update came just three months before the two announced their engagement.
One month into marriage, Grande and Gomez no longer feel like they need to hide their relationship, a source said.
Entertainment Tonight got an update from a source about how Grande and Gomez were settling into life as newlyweds—and how marriage changed how they feel about sharing their relationship publicly.
“Ariana and Dalton felt like before they were married they couldn’t be as open about their relationship without it being scrutinized in the media and now they feel way more at ease,” the outlet’s source said. “They have plans to travel more together and feel closer than ever.”
Grande and Gomez enjoy their new life as a married couple, the source added: “Ariana is happy and feels very relaxed. She feels like she is entering a new chapter of life and is excited to see where it goes.”
The couple really likes “making unified decisions,” the source said. “Ariana is Dalton’s first priority in everything that they do and he really values her and shows it. Ariana loves that Dalton is super chill and how understanding he is of her.”
Grande marked her 28th birthday in June 2021 by sharing a kissing video of the two, signaling she is more willing to post about their relationship online now.
Days after Entertainment Tonight reported that Grande and Gomez were more comfortable sharing their relationship publicly, Grande did just that on her birthday. The singer posted a video of the two kissing on her Instagram Story. She captioned it, “a bday baby. deeply thankful for so much love.”
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He officially has a Grande album written about him.
October 30 marked a new era in Grande’s music, and several songs on her sixth studio album seem to be about Gomez. In her first song, “Positions,” Grande sings about wanting to “meet your mama on a Sunday” and “make a lotta love on Monday” in reference to her current relationship.
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Other “Positions” lyrics nod to her new romance, including “Perfect, perfect / You’re too good to be true (You’re too good to be true)” and “Heaven sent you to me / I’m just hopin’ I don’t repeat history” as she did with ex-fiancé Pete Davidson. However, Grande doesn’t name Gomez outright as she did with her past loves in the track, “thank u, next.”
There are other nods to Gomez throughout the record. The explicit “34+35” lyrics paint a picture of the couple’s sex life. It also talks about her desire to have a family with Gomez. “You might think I’m crazy / The way I’ve been cravin’ / If I put it quite plainly / Just give me them babies,” she sings, later belting, “who’s counting the time when we got it for life?”
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“Safety Net” is about Grande falling for Gomez after being hurt by past relationships. In that track, she sings, “You’re making me forget my past / Never thought I’d feel like that / I came to peace with my past / Now you got me off track.”
The song “POV” also cements just how serious Grande and Gomez are. “I wanna love me / The way that you love me,” she sings. “For all of my pretty / And all of my ugly too / I’d love to see me from your point of view.”
They spent their first Christmas together in 2020.
On Christmas Day 2020, Grande posted a photo of her and Gomez cuddling near the Christmas tree as the first photo in a holiday gallery.“”merry :)” she wrote.
She also included photos of her and Gomez spending the day with her brother Frankie, Frankie’s boyfriend, and her mom Joan.
Grande and Gomez had a rare public date night ahead of the 2021 Grammys.
In a sign things between Grande and Gomez are still going strong a year into dating, the private couple made a rare appearance in Los Angeles. On March 6, Grande and Gomez enjoyed a romantic dinner at the FIA restaurant in Santa Monica. Paparazzi photographed the two lovebirds wearing matching masks as they left the restaurant. Grande also wore her massive one-of-kind engagement ring, of course. The date was one of the first public sightings of Grande and Gomez together since Gomez proposed.
Grande posted a tribute to Gomez on her Instagram in April 2021
In a rare public show of affection, Grande posted a few photos of her and Gomez getting cozy.
Ariana Grande//Instagram
Love a just-because romantic moment.
Grande and Gomez did two couple costumes for Halloween 2021.
Grande and Gomez leaned into their first Halloween as a married couple with two different looks. They did an elaborate Miss Creature From the Black Lagoon look, with Grande as the swamp monster and Gomez as a handsome scuba man. They then debuted a more causal (for celeb standards) second couple costume: Audrey and Seymour from Little Shop of Horrors. A PDA shot capped off the gallery of that second look:
Grande and Gomez share scenes from their Thanksgiving 2021 celebration.
Grande had family and contestants from Season 21 of The Voice over for Thanksgiving, and shared a series of photos and videos from the night of celebration.
Amongst them was a cute picture of Grande sitting next to Gomez and hugging their dog Toulouse, hiding her face so only her signature ponytail and ribbon were visible.
Gomez supported Grande as she shot the musical movie Wicked.
Ariana Grande has been incredibly busy with the filming schedule for Wicked, in which she plays Glinda. A source told ET that Gomez has been backing her up during this demanding time.
“Ariana Grande and Dalton Gomez have both been keeping busy with work projects,” the source claimed. “Ariana has been so focused, but Dalton has been there with her and supporting her behind the scenes… He is happy for her and they are very in love.”
A second source added, “This role is Ariana’s dream and she’s throwing herself fully into it and Dalton is supportive.”
Grande celebrated the couple’s two-year wedding anniversary by sharing a sweet and rare tribute to Gomez.
Grande revealed just how long she and Gomez had been dating in May 2023 when she posted a photo of them kissing on their wedding day to mark their two-year anniversary. “2 [years married], 3.5 years together!!!! I love him so,” she wrote. It served as a remarkably rare look into their relationship:
Ariana Grande was seen at Wimbledon with no wedding ring, sparking breakup rumor.
On Sunday, July 15, Grande was seen at Wimbledon without Gomez, watching the men’s singles final between Djokovic and Alcaraz. Fans noticed that there was no ring on her wedding ring finger, despite it being a high profile event. She had been seen on social media without it as well, so this added fuel to rumors that they might be going through a rough patch.
Grande was seated between Spider-Man actor Andrew Garfield and Bridgerton star Jonathan Bailey.
Karwai Tang//Getty Images
Grande has been in the UK filming Wicked Part 1 for some time now, and Gomez has deleted his Instagram.
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.
Editorial Fellow
Savannah Walsh is an Editorial Fellow at ELLE.com.
Starr Savoy is a fellow at ELLE.com, where she writes about celebrity, culture, beauty, and fashion. When she is not working, you will find her pumping iron at the gym, watching Netflix’s latest phenomenon, and indulging in retail therapy.
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