Over the weekend, Ariana Grande’s estranged husband Dalton Gomez was photographed for the first time since their split looking “sad” sans wedding band, TMZ reported. A source spoke to Us Weekly and confirmed that the photos aren’t lying: Gomez really is still heartbroken about his relationship with Grande definitively ending after two years of marriage.
“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.”
Ariana Grande and Dalton Gomez together.
Ariana Grande//Instagram
Gomez, a Los Angeles real estate agent, was accustomed to “living a private life” before dating Grande. Having their breakup be so public has brought new challenges. “He never imagined he would be going through a divorce in the public eye,” the source said. “But he’s hanging in there and is grateful for his friends and family who have been really supportive.”
While Grande herself has moved on to her Wicked co-star Ethan Slater, who is also in the process of divorcing his wife Lilly Jay, a source told People in July that Grande really does think highly of Gomez.
“Ari has nothing but kind words to say about Dalton,” the source said. “During their marriage, he was her no. 1 fan.”
Over the last month, Gomez, meanwhile, has been coming to terms with his and Grande’s love story ending for good. In late July, a source told Entertainment Tonight that Gomez “still has a lot of love for her and still considers her his partner, but she has moved on. Dalton’s friends are encouraging him to do the same.”
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.