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Ariana Grande is opening up about the effects rumors surrounding her life and relationships have on her personally.
In a new cover story with The Hollywood Reporter, the "We Can't Be Friends" singer explained how criticism over her relationships, including her romance with her "always adorable" boyfriend and Wicked co-star Ethan Slater, can often be painful. While acknowledging the hurt she experiences from the rumors, she noted that it is something she has learned to live with given how the very nature of her career puts her in the public eye, per People.
"It'll never be unpainful," she said. "But also, I walk with the awareness that I'm an artist and this is a path that I've chosen, and so I just try to protect myself so that I never start to resent the art."
Grande and Slater first sparked dating rumors in July 2023 months after her divorce from Dalton Gomez and his split from now-ex wife Lilly Jay, with whom he shares a son.
In September 2024, the Thank U, Next musician detailed her experience handling the public reaction to her new relationship, admitting that it was "disappointing" to see speculation surrounding the couple. She also praised her Broadway beau at the time, saying, "There is no one on this earth with a better heart, and that is something that no bulls--- tabloid can rewrite in real life."