Ariana Grande won’t let estranged husband Dalton Gomez’s birthday go by without sending him her best wishes.
“Ariana plans on reaching out to Dalton to wish him a happy birthday, but she has no plans on celebrating with him,” a source exclusively tells Us Weekly. (Gomez turns 28 on Monday, August 7.)
The insider continues: “Ariana has no hard feelings about their split, but she’s trying to focus on moving forward and doesn’t want to bring up old feelings. She wishes him nothing but the best and hopes he has a wonderful birthday.”
Grande, 30, previously wished Gomez a happy 26th birthday via her Instagram Story in August 2021, nearly three months after they tied the knot.
“Happy birthday to my baby my husband my best friend. I love you infinitely,” she wrote alongside a photo of the pair in Amsterdam.
Us confirmed last month that Grande and Gomez had separated after two years of marriage. “Ariana and Dalton have been having some issues for months now,” a source exclusively told Us at the time. “They were having issues before she left for Wicked filming [in London] that they couldn’t resolve, and the distance did not help.”
Days later, news broke that Grande had moved on with her Wicked costar Ethan Slater.
“Ariana and Ethan are dating; however things are fairly new. Ariana and Dalton split in January, and Ethan is separated from his wife,” another source exclusively told Us at the time. “Ariana and Ethan have only recently begun seeing each other but they have a lot of fun together and are enjoying each other’s company.”
Later that month, Slater, 31, who is best known for portraying SpongeBob SquarePants in the Broadway musical of the same name, filed for divorce from wife Lilly Jay. The pair, who were high school sweethearts, tied the knot in July 2018 and welcomed their first child, a son, in August 2022.
Although neither Grande nor Slater have publicly addressed their romance, Jay, 30, slammed her estranged husband’s new relationship while speaking to Page Six last month. “[Ariana’s] the story really. Not a girl’s girl. My family is just collateral damage,” she said at the time. “The story is her and Dalton.”
Gomez, for his part, is “still coming to terms with the fact” that he and Grande’s marriage is over, a source exclusively told Us in July.
The insider continued: “Although Dalton knows Ariana has moved on with Ethan, he still hasn’t given up hope that they can make things work. On one hand, Dalton wants to give Ariana her space, but on the other, he’s been trying to remain in contact with her.”
As Grande and Slater’s exes adjust to their respective splits, the pair have been advised to pump the brakes on their relationship.
“Ariana’s been told it’s too soon to go public with him and to take things slower,” a source exclusively told Us on Wednesday, August 2. “She’s very aware of how she’s perceived by her fans, and she’s trying to be mature. [But] if it were up to her, she’d be seen with him tomorrow.”
The insider added that the duo’s inner circle has told them to “be respectful” because there is a family involved. “Things are heating up behind the scenes,” the source said. “Publicly, they’re backing off, but [in reality], they’re not.”
