We know, we know. It’s really hard for us to accept the fall of another celebrity couple too. Mac Miller and Ariana Grande seemed to form a steady duo; they began dating after years of friendship, and they managed to strike that balance between enjoying their relationship without shame and maintaining a healthy sense of privacy. We know we’re going to miss this couple’s online flirtations (they were incredible on each other's social media profiles), their amazing sense of humor, and the way that they were able to combine their talents to make hit after hit. If Ariana’s announcement of the breakup was any indication, everything ended on good terms and these two will maintain their friendship. Of course, that’s what most celebrities claim will occur at the beginning of the end, but we’re going to hold on to our hope that this pair means it. We certainly hope that they’ll continue to work together because they were such amazing collaborators. Admittedly though, listening to “The Way” will never feel the way it did before. Sorry, we had too.
Before we lay Mariana to rest, take one last walk down memory lane with us. We know you don’t want to, but we’re even counting down back to the beginning so it feels a little less sad. Cmon, we'll make it fun!
21 Ariana Confirmed The Breakup On May 9th, 2018
As is quickly becoming a trend with celebrities these days, Ariana took to Instagram to announce her and Mac's breakup to the world. The candid post featured a picture of the two together, and a long statement in which she called Mac "one of [her] best friends in the whole world" and directly addressed him with the line "I can't wait to know and support you forever and I'm so proud of you!!" Certainly a sweet statement, and we may be going out on a limb here, but does it kinda sound like Ariana was the one who broke up with Mac?
Overall, she seemed to be in a good place about the breakup, and her assurances to both Mac and the world that they will remain friends seems like the consolation prize most people try to give their exes after calling off a relationship.
We're not saying Ariana wasn't genuine, we certainly hope she was considering her and Mac's long history, but this statement does give us a glimpse at what may have happened behind-the-scenes. After almost two years together, Bustle reported that the reason behind these two's breakup was one that is very popular among celebrities; their busy schedules. Ariana does have an upcoming album to promote.
20 The Couple Looked Perfectly Happy At Coachella A Few Weeks Ago
Ever the supportive partner, Mac was on hand when Ariana gave a surprise performance during the second week of Coachella this year. Ariana’s takeover quickly dubbed #Arichella by her fans, featured her on Kygo’s stage, where she performed her new single “No Tears Left To Cry” according to Teen Vogue. Ariana performed in thigh high boots and a lavender leotard-tutu number which you see her sporting in this adorbz picture with Mac. Also featured on her Instagram was a video of the two dancing together before Ariana’s performance. The couple looks perfectly happy in the picture and video, which was taken less than a month ago. We have no doubt that a lot can occur in a month, but the seemingly amicable breakup seems to suggest that there wasn’t some terrible dramatic situation that broke these two up. This leads us to believe that despite how deceiving social media can be, there was some gradual growing apart occurring between these two, already in motion at the time the picture was taken. Though puzzling, it’s another reminder that seeing a few moments of someone’s day on social media is very different from knowing them and what’s happening in their lives, even when their intention isn’t to deceive.
19 They Vacationed Together In Colorado Not Too Long Before That
At the end of 2017, Ariana and Mac took a nice little vacation to Mountain Village, Colorado. They stayed in the Pulitzer Mansion (courtesy of Airbnb) and had a grand ol’ time. As Teen Vogue reports, this exclusive experience featured ski passes, a driver, and nearby hot springs – all within reach once you manage to pry yourself out of one of the mansion’s six bedrooms, its indoor pool, sauna, bowling alley, and fancy kitchen that comes with its own private chef. It’s almost too much to take in!
Ariana was kind enough to offer her fans a glimpse into her and Mac’s luxurious vacation through her social media posts.
This vacation could be yours too for just $10,500 per night. Seems a little steep, we know, but you could probably afford it if you elect to spend the rest of the year living in a tent! Like most celeb vacations, this one was filled with unimaginable luxury, but it was certainly well earned. 2017 was sort of a rough year for Ariana, and like the great boyfriend Mac is - we mean, was - he was there suffering with her through it all. But we’ll delve more into that later.
18 Mac Posted An Adorable Birthday Message For Ariana In 2017
Even for the most private celebrity couples, birthdays and anniversaries are pretty much the two times a year we can hope for a mushy social media post where they publicly declare their love for one another. For Ariana’s birthday last year, Mac certainly did not disappoint! In celebration of Ariana’s 24th birthday, Mac posted a black and white photo of the couple in Paris with the Eiffel Tower in the background, Billboard reported. The picture’s pretty cute, but what’s even better was Mac’s caption; “Happy Birthday to this adorable pure soul who has reminded me what being happy feels like. Thank you for loving me so good. I think it’s supposed to be ‘so well’ but I don’t care. I love you and can’t wait for all the adventures.” We love Mac’s unabashed love and appreciation for Ariana in this post, and even his concern about good grammar. The cherry on top is him posting a picture in one of the world’s most romantic settings, and the visual reminder that these two have traveled the world together. Between the place, and between these two, there’s so much history. This picture’s definitely worth a couple thousand words. And to think, she probably got a gift after this too!
17 He Was Supportive After Ariana's Manchester Concert Attack
As you probably remember from reading the news, during a May performance in Manchester last year, there was a terrorist attack at Ariana's concert. Elite Daily reported that twenty-two people's lives were taken, and at least another fifty-nine wounded. Among those who tragically passed away were young children and fans of Ariana. The singer was not physically injured but understandably experienced some trauma from the event.
A day after the incident, she returned to her hometown of Boca Raton, Florida to be reunited with her mother and her boyfriend Mac.
The picture above is of their emotional reunion, and it’s clear that Ariana was still processing the horror that had just occurred. When Ariana returned to Manchester for a benefit concert a few weeks later, Mac was there with her onstage. While Ariana suspended her tour for a few weeks after the event, All Hip Hop reported that Mac also canceled some scheduled appearances, presumably to spend time with the singer. Musicians typically have to jump through a lot of hoops to cancel scheduled appearances (even Ariana did not get that much time off) so it was a true testament to Mac’s concern for her that he went through with canceling some upcoming appearances. Even in long-term relationships, not everyone has that level of commitment to their significant other.
16 And The Two Even Sparked Engagement Rumors
Following the attack at Ariana’s Manchester concert, she and Mac were plagued with engagement rumors, which mostly resulted from Ariana’s benefit concert. During the concert, Ariana was seen wearing a diamond ring on her left hand, and naturally, it led many to start drawing conclusions. As In Touch Weekly reported, it turned out the pair actually wasn’t engaged and that Mac had simply bought her a diamond ring for kicks and giggles. Apparently, it was Ariana who decided to wear the ring on her engagement finger. The magazine’s source had this to say about the ordeal; “She’s learned that what matters most are the people that you love - and that’s Mac. She has no doubt that he’s the man she’s supposed to be with. [She told friends he] is the one and that she wants to marry him as soon as possible.” Obviously, this dream never came to fruition, though the intent matters. People tend to hold on to the people they’re closet to in times of tragedy, and perhaps that was the reason Ariana started having thoughts of marriage. Even though Ari and Mac are now broken up, hopefully, they’re both able to remember the good times and appreciate them for what they were.
15 Their Relationship Survived During Ariana's Break From The Public Eye
Despite her grueling schedule, Ariana did manage to take a break from the public eye a little while after Manchester. Teen Vogue reported that her first public appearance after six months was at Madonna’s Oscars after party. You can probably guess who was by her side - it was none other than her boyfriend, Mac Miller. Prior to the event, Ariana was last seen at a benefit event for a terrorist attack in Charlottesville, Virginia. She’d used the event to give an inspiring speech, encouraging the audience to “be part of a generation that won’t be silent, that refuses to be silent.” Evidently impassioned by the terror she’d witnessed both personally and in the news during those times, it was evident that her priorities had realigned.
The difficulties of that time certainly could have torn her and Mac apart, but instead, it seemed to have the opposite effect.
Mac and Ariana’s appearance together after all that time served as evidence that her break from the public eye in no way meant there was a break in their relationship. Despite being a young couple, Ariana and Mac managed to show unity and a serious level of commitment to each other even during the hardest of times.
14 Ariana Was There For Mac's Coachella Performance
Just as Mac was on hand for Ariana's recent Coachella performance, so too was Ariana for Mac's performance last year. Entertainment Online reports that at the time, Ariana had just wrapped her Dangerous Woman tour. She still came out to support her boyfriend and even posted a few snippets of his set to her Instagram story. We love how these two are always there to support one another! It was so full circle that Ariana performed at Coachella exactly a year after Mac did, and it's awesome they were both able to be there to see the other. They'll always have those memories, and perhaps they'll think of them at next year's Coachella. It would be pretty cool if they celebrated with a performance together in 2019, though we know that may be asking for too much. After his performance last year, Mac happily posted a picture of Ariana kissing him on the cheek with a simple caption that said "Hi." Overall, pretty similar to Ariana's post after her own Coachella performance. Seeing these two photos and thinking of the amount of time that passed between them is just another reminder of how much these two experienced together, hopefully, they never forget!
13 They Collaborated On Mac's Album, 'The Divine Feminine'
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Music has always had a way of bringing these two together, and it was true again while Mac was working on his album, The Divine Feminine (love the name, we must say). Ariana is featured in the song "My Favorite Part" which Mac credits for bringing them back together after the two briefly lost touch. He told People;
"I wrote that love song before I saw her. We're very good friends first and foremost. We made that song and started becoming close again. It's very dope and I like how it worked out."
It is dope indeed! Perhaps these two will find their way back to each other the next time one of them is making an album?! It's too soon to tell, but for now, we have all of their incredible collaborations to enjoy. Mac also understands how lucky he and Ariana are to be able to work together musically, and he clearly has a sense of how special their musical chemistry is on "My Favorite Part." As he reflected back on the song, Celebs Now reported that he said; "She just sounds so angelic when she comes in, and I have more of a grit to my voice, so I love how the textures combine." Swoon.
11 They Posted Cute Halloween Photos As A Couple
Mac and Ariana were definitely a couple that enjoyed having fun together. For their first Halloween together, Arianna and Mac posted a series of photos of the two together in costume. Their complimentary couple’s costumes featured Mac as Pikachu and Ariana as Eevee. As Teen Vogue points, the couple got creative by telling a story with their successive Instagram posts. The photos start out with Ariana and Mac’s characters being playful, but in the second photo Eevee eats Pikachu, in the third all seems to be forgiven, but in the fourth, a dark look in Pikachu’s eye suggests he’s out for revenge. Mac and Ariana may be primarily known as musicians, but they sure are good at telling stories! As Ariana’s fans know, the star is a big fan of Halloween, so it comes as no surprise that she and Mac were so committed to their characters! Clearly, Ariana found in Mac someone that was able to match her playful side, and we think that was one of the best things about this couple. We’re definitely going to miss how these two went big for Halloween. But since they’re still friends, maybe it’s not too crazy to hope for matching outfits this year too?
10 They Were Spotted Together In Mac's Hometown In The Early Days
One of the first public outings Mac and Ariana had as a couple was actually to a Pittsburgh Steelers game. We're not sure if Ariana is a sports fan, but we suspect her attendance probably had something to do with the game being in Mac's hometown.
As Refinery29 reported, both of the artists' moms were also there.
How adorable is that?! Not too many of us would invite our moms to tag along with us on our dates, but these two seemed pretty cool with it. The game also proved that these two got pretty serious pretty fast. Their relationship was still fairly new at the time, but clearly, they got to the 'meeting each other's parents phase' rather quickly. Of course, it's totally possible their moms had already met (or at least knew of each other) for years before they were spotted at that game, considering that Mac and Ariana had already been friends for a while. The duo and their moms posted some adorable Snapchats during the day, and Mac held a concert in his hometown that night. Overall we bet that Ariana got to know a lot about her new boyfriend on this trip and it's apparent that the visit only brought these two closer.
9 ...Shorty After They Became Social Media Official In September 2016
It may seem silly, but the moment that modern couples make their union social media official is actually pretty significant. For most, it doesn't involve some long, heartfelt post about their journey towards finding each other, but rather a quick, flirty post with few words. It's really up to the audience to infer what the person is trying to say about their love life. That is why we know that Mac and Ariana became Instagram official in September of 2016 in a post on Ariana's page that featured the two wrestling on the floor. The caption simply says, "baabyyy." To the untrained eye, this may not seem like enough to conclude that she and Mac were officially in a relationship, but their fans certainly knew better. Ariana's comments were quickly filled with excitement with one user commenting, "Seeing this made me so happy inside." Of course, it wasn't just the Insta post that clued people of these two's relationship. There had already been a few occasions of these two being spotted together, and the rumor mill had already been churning about their relationship since "The Way." For a lot of people, the moment Mac and Ariana made their relationship Instagram official was long overdue; they'd already been waiting for years! As they say, good things come to those who wait!
8 And Mac Publicly Declared His Love For Ariana
If happened pretty quickly into Mac and Ariana's relationship, but when you know you know, right? During an interview with The Breakfast Club shortly after Mac and Ariana began dating, Mac referred to himself as "just a man in love." Aww. Mac was pretty candid about their relationship during the interview, he told the hosts; "that is a true thing in my life, she's amazing. Just because we are two people who are in love and have a great relationship doesn't mean that I'm gonna get weird about this incredible music that we make together. All I'm saying is ''Yea, we're together, cool." It's clear that Mac somehow found a balance between being honest with the world and declaring his love for Ariana all the while holding on to their need for privacy.
Still, it's pretty sweet that he was so certain about how he felt about the singer so early on.
Honestly, their long history probably contributed to that. Though Mac and Ariana waited a fairly long time to get into a relationship after their first get together, what Mac said implies that their feelings for each other had always been there in some way. After all, it's pretty easy to fall in love with your best friend!
7 They Were Spotted On A Dinner Date In August 2016
Romance rumors surrounded Ariana and Mac for years before they actually started dating. However, they didn't have much merit until the fall of 2016. Mac and Ariana were spotted at a sushi restaurant in L.A. Refinery29 reported. Apparently, TMZ even posted photos of the two kissing, though for some reason a lot of people thought the whole thing was set up as a publicity stunt. A lot of Twitter users seemed to think the whole thing was for promotion during Ariana's Dangerous Woman era, with one user humorously claiming; "She's a dangerous woman and now Mac is making her image go from dangerous to dangerouser." As you can imagine, all of these skeptical Tweeters quickly ate their words. However, their skepticism makes sense considering the way that rumors had surrounded these two for so long without any sense of legitimacy until then. We imagine Ariana and Mac didn't spend much time wondering if other people thought their relationship was real. Considering how much they valued their privacy, it was probably a good thing for them that it took people so long to realize they were a couple for real. We're sure stranger rumors have been spread about both of them anyway.
6 After The MTV VMAs Fueled Dating Rumors
It's one thing to go out to dinner together, or even to a sports game. However, attending a big award show together is a whole 'nother thing. With so many cameras trained on them and millions watching at home, Mac and Ariana were still pretty flirty at the 2016 MTV VMAs, signaling that they were serious enough about each other at this point to let the world know.
As U Music reported, just a few days before the event, Mac and Ariana had been spotted at a Tattoo Parlour.
No, they didn't get tattoos dedicated to each other, but they both got inked nevertheless, which is a pretty intimate thing to do together. For the record, Ariana got an A on her right thumb, and Mac got the Venus symbol on the back of his hand. Anyway, by the time the VMAs occurred, not only had these two been seen together on quite a few occasions, but the frequency with which they were being spotted together was also increasing. All signs pointed to their relationship getting more and more serious. I mean, just look how cozy they seem in this picture. They're so in sync that they're even rocking matching poses. The most obvious sign of coupledom!
5 The Pair Were Good Friends For Years Before This
They say the best foundation for any relationship is a good friendship. If this is true, then Mac and Ariana certainly started off on the right foot. While talking about how their relationship came to be to People, Mac admitted; "We're very good friends first and foremost. We hung out for a long time and everything just happened organically. We love making music together - we do that always. But she's my best friend in the world." Does it get any sweeter than that? It's clear that Mac and Ariana had a pretty strong connection even before they started dating, and this probably made the transition a lot easier. It's pretty cool that they've always been able to share their passion for music and obviously they work very well together. While we can imagine it might have been hard at times to balance their professional and personal relationships, Ariana and Mac seemed to be great at managing this because they were friends first and foremost. Now that they're breaking up, we're hopeful the foundation of friendship they started out with is enough to help that aspect of their relationship survive the breakup. We certainly hope they'll keep making music together as well!
4 Though They Admit They Both Wanted More From The Beginning
In an interview with Cosmopolitan, Ariana spoke lovingly of her then-boyfriend. She was twenty-three at the time (so her and Mac had known each other for four years) and she confessed to the mag, "We loved each other since the beginning." According to her, neither of them expected their friendship to turn into something more.
"We weren't ready at all, though, to be together. It's just timing. We both needed to experience some things and the love was there the whole time."
It's great that despite their obvious chemistry, neither Mac nor Ariana rushed the relationship. Timing is as important as finding the right person, which Ariana seemed to recognize during the interview, and probably understands even more now. Even though this may not be the right time for Ariana and Mac to be in a relationship, it may even be possible that this may change later on in their lives. As she said in her breakup post about Mac, she's "grateful to have him in [her] life in any form, at all times regardless of how [their] relationship changes." That statement definitely left room for reconciliation, and there's really no telling what the future may hold for these two.
3 They Collaborated For Ariana's First Hit, "The Way"
You'd have to flash all the way back to 2013 to remember the single that introduced Ariana Grande to the world. Before "The Way" Ariana was best known for Victorious, which meant that not many people over the age of fourteen knew who she was. Ariana has always been a musical talent (she did a lot of singing on Victorious, along with the whole cast and even before that...) but it seemed she hadn't quite found her sound. Her single "The Way" changed all of that. The catchy tune was everywhere (it still holds up) and you could even argue that her career wouldn't be where it is today without it. Considering the importance of that single, it's a pretty big deal that Mac was there for the whole thing. It's a reminder that Mac and Ariana have always been great collaborators. Also, if you ever took the time to watch the music video, you'll see that their chemistry was apparent from the start. Mac was there at a very important point in Ariana's life and career, a point in their lives that will be forever memorialized in song. "The Way" represents another component of their history that they will always have, and at least one example of how they'll always be connected no matter what.
2 But Their First Duet Was Actually A Cover Of "Baby It's Cold Outside"
Many people think "The Way" was Mac and Ariana's first collaboration, but they go back even further than that. This pair's first duet was actually not an original, but a cover of the popular Christmas song "Baby It's Cold Outside" (which you can still find on YouTube).
According to Elite Daily, Mac and Ariana's history began through a Twitter conversation, after which Mac "slid into Ariana's DMs", as the kids say.
Basically, Mac managed to promote his latest work and propose a duet to Ariana all in the span of 140 characters! It's pretty surreal to be able to go on social media and see how these two's entire romantic and working relationships began. It's also a pretty good reminder that it never hurts to simply ask for what you want. Ariana and Mac may have never had a relationship, and we may have never been blessed with "The Way" if it hadn't been for Mac putting himself out there and proposing a duet. We don't even want to think too much about that hypothetical scenario! We're just thankful that these two were both feeling the Christmas spirit enough to get together and do that first duet. It was truly the beginning of everything!
1 Whatever Happens Next, We Love Them Both
The reality is that both Mac and Ariana are still very young. They're both incredibly talented and have a lot more to give the world musically. As much as we loved them together and hope they'll eventually find their way back to each other, we know it's possible that that won't happen. For now, we think it's best to celebrate what they had, appreciate the excellent collaborations they created together, and wish them both the best.
We'll always know that there was a lot of love between these two. Way back in the beginning, in 2016, Mac told Billboard; "I wholeheartedly believe in the idea of love, and I think it's interesting that in the year 2016, there are all these different ways of what love and relationships look like. Like 'What is monogamy? Who cares? It's 2016.' But I don't know. I still want to have the kind of story my grandparents had." We want that for Mac too, even if he finds that with someone else. It certainly doesn't mean he and Ariana can't be friends. After all, Ariana's breakup post was very open to the idea of their relationship continuing on in some way. Whatever happens, we get the feeling these two intend to be in each other's lives for good.
References: Teen Vogue , Teen Vogue , Billboard, Refinery29, Teen Vogue , In Touch Weekly, Teen Vogue, Elite Daily, Elite Daily, All Hip Hop, Bustle, Refinery29, Daily Mail, Celebs Now, Refinery29, U Music, Entertainment Online
