{"id":175164,"date":"2025-12-09T03:40:07","date_gmt":"2025-12-09T03:40:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/175164\/"},"modified":"2025-12-09T03:40:07","modified_gmt":"2025-12-09T03:40:07","slug":"ariana-grande-shares-untold-story-of-why-shes-very-thankful-for-her-late-ex-boyfriend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/175164\/","title":{"rendered":"Ariana Grande Shares Untold Story of Why She\u2019s \u2018Very Thankful\u2019 for Her Late Ex-Boyfriend"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ariana Grande<\/a> expressed her gratitude<\/a> for Mac Miller<\/a>, crediting her late ex-boyfriend with helping her launch her highly successful music<\/a> career.<\/p>\n

The singer and actress, 32, spoke about the late rapper\u2019s impact on her debut album, 2013\u2019s Yours Truly, revealing during a Friday<\/a>, December<\/a> 5, master class<\/a> at Chapman University in Orange, California, that Miller encouraged her to \u201cmake R&B-influenced pop music\u201d and \u201cdo the brave thing.\u201d <\/p>\n

She added, \u201cI\u2019m very thankful for that.\u201d<\/p>\n

The duo notably collaborated on Grande\u2019s 2013 breakout single<\/a>, \u201cThe Way,\u201d which became the first Billboard Hot 100 top-10 hit for both her and Miller.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThat\u2019s also a part of why I was so eager to ask him to be a part of it,\u201d she said of the track. \u201cNot only because he was perfect for the song, but I also felt like I had him to thank for finding my sound.\u201d<\/p>\n

Grande and Miller later teamed up again on their respective 2016 songs \u201cInto You\u201d and \u201cMy Favorite Part.\u201d That same year, the couple went public with their romance<\/a> in September. News of their split broke in May 2018.<\/p>\n

Just four months after their breakup made headlines, Miller died in September 2018 of an accidental overdose of fentanyl, cocaine and alcohol. He was 26.<\/p>\n

The following year, Grande spoke candidly about the grief she faced after Miller\u2019s death<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s pretty all-consuming,\u201d she told Vogue in 2019. \u201cBy no means was what we had perfect, but, like, f–k. He was the best person ever, and he didn\u2019t deserve the demons he had. I was the glue for such a long time, and I found myself becoming \u2026 less and less sticky. The pieces just started to float away.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 2020, Grande described Miller as \u201cthe kind of person who woke up and rolled into the studio,\u201d emphasizing his dedication to his craft.<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing was more important,\u201d she recalled in an interview with Apple Music\u2019s Zane Lowe. \u201cTalk about losing track of time and forgetting to eat, [having to] remind yourself to take care of yourself and be a person. He was a person who gave literally every single second of his thought and time and life<\/a> to his music.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 2023, Grande marked the 10th anniversary<\/a> of \u201cThe Way\u201d by releasing a remastered version of the song that featured an orchestral string section on Miller\u2019s verse.<\/p>\n

When a fan shared a clip of the music video via Instagram, Grande paid tribute to Miller by responding, \u201cI love you<\/a>,\u201d and reposting the message via her Instagram Story. <\/p>\n

This story was originally published by Parade<\/a> on Dec 8, 2025, where it first appeared in the News<\/a> section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.<\/a><\/p>\n