New relationship alert! Ariana Grande and Big Sean went public as a couple at the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday, Aug. 24 — getting caught on camera holding hands backstage at the awards show.
The MTV dressing room hallway cam caught the loved-up pair walking hand-in-hand down a narrow corridor just moments after the 21-year-old singer finished her performance of "Bang Bang." The footage was aired in a super-speedy clip just before a commercial break.
It's the first time the pair have shown any PDA in public, although rumors of a relationship have been swirling for the past month, fueled by their professional collaboration on Grande's new single "Best Mistake," as Us Weekly previously reported.
It's been a rocky time relationship-wise for both Grande and Big Sean, 26. Grande broke up with her ex-boyfriend Jai Brooks for the second time earlier this month, after posting a cryptic message via Twitter at the time.
"You learn a lot about love, life and the people around you during a time of crisis," she wrote, referring to the recent death of her grandfather. "I thank everybody who was here for me when I needed them as the ones who weren't really broke my heart."
Big Sean is also recently out of a serious relationship, having called off his engagement to Glee's Naya Rivera in April of this year, as Us exclusively broke.
Now, like his ex Rivera, who unexpectedly married new flame Ryan Dorsey in July, it seems Big Sean is ready to move on. And Grande's the lucky girl!
Sources tell Us the couple have been "hanging out a lot lately."
"There is a lot of chemistry as you heard in the song, which is how they first got close," the source added.
Talking after the awards show, Grande told Us she was looking forward to her own private celebrations after winning the Best Pop Video Moonman for her hit "Problem."
"I was crying when I got backstage," she gushed to Us in the pressroom. "Tonight, I'm going to celebrate. My label is having a party so I'm going to stop by there and sort of say, 'Hi!' to everybody and then go home and have some fun at my house. Keep it chill."
