Ariana Grande took a big step in her separation from Dalton Gomez — deleting their wedding photos from her social media.
After news of the couple’s split broke on Monday, July 17, fans were quick to notice that pics from the pair’s May 2021 nuptials had disappeared from Grande’s Instagram feed.
Us Weekly confirmed at the time that Grande, 30, and Gomez, 27, tied the knot in a small ceremony of less than 20 guests. “The room was so happy and full of love,” a rep for Grande, 30, shared. “The couple and both families couldn’t be happier.”
One month prior, a source exclusively revealed that the two had wanted their wedding to be a “very small and intimate affair,” noting that “nothing will officially happen until it’s safe” amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Grande — who was first romantically linked to Gomez in February 2020 — later shared pics from the big day via Instagram, including snaps of her Vera Wang wedding dress. The elegant silk gown featured a plunging back, empire waist, structured neckline and a skirt slit.
She completed the look with a short, tulle veil with a satin bow, as well a natural glam by makeup artist Ash Kohlm and a half-up, half-down hairdo by hairstylist Josh Liu. Grande noticeably covered up her numerous arm tattoos for the ceremony.
For accessories, Grande sported a pair of diamond and pearl drop earrings, though she wore one of the two upside down. “The meaning behind this is significant to Ariana, as it represents appreciating the lowest or the ‘upside down’ moments in her life and how they have contributed to where and who she is now,” Vogue revealed in a May 2021 article.
Despite a source exclusively telling Us in May that Grande and Gomez were still in their “honeymoon phase,” another insider revealed on Monday that the two had “been having some issues for months” before their split. The source continued: “They were having issues before she left for Wicked filming [in London] that they couldn’t resolve, and the distance did not help. They haven’t been speaking and are separated, and a divorce is likely.”
A second insider also shared that the duo’s relationship “had been going really well” until “they hit a rough patch a few months ago and haven’t been able to recover.”
Grande noticeably ditched her wedding ring while attending a Wimbledon tennis match on Sunday, July 16. She wore a white baseball cap on top of her blonde locks — which she has rocked while filming the upcoming Wicked movies — and was seated in between Wicked costar Jonathan Bailey and Andrew Garfield. On Tuesday, July 18, she stepped out for a shopping trip in London with another Wicked castmate, Cynthia Erivo, sans her roc.
Now, Grande is “determined to move forward” following her and Gomez’s separation, a third source told Us on Tuesday. “As sad as it is, the consensus on both sides is that this is ultimately for the best. Ariana and Dalton are two very different people.”
