Ariana Grande finds herself compelled to reflect on the significant changes in her life throughout 2023. In a detailed Instagram Story on Friday, December 29, the 30-year-old pop star described the year as “one of the most transformative, most challenging, and yet happiest and most special” in her life. She expressed a spectrum of emotions, acknowledging the beauty and polarization intertwined in the experiences. Grande went on to share, “I’ve never felt more at the mercy of and in acceptance of what life was screaming to teach me.”
Grande has experienced both highs and lows over the course of this year. In July, Us Weekly verified the end of her two-year marriage to Dalton Gomez. Two months subsequent, Grande formally initiated the divorce proceedings from Gomez, 28, citing their separation date as February 20, 2023.
Following the public revelation of Grande’s split from Gomez, she swiftly entered a new relationship with her Wicked co-star, Ethan Slater. Within a few days, Slater initiated divorce proceedings with his estranged wife, Lilly Jay, whom he had married in 2018 and shares a child with born in 2022. At the time, Jay criticized Grande, stating to Page Six, “[Ariana’s] the story, really. Not a girl’s girl. My family is just collateral damage.”
On Friday, Grande reflected, stating, “I have never experienced such a blend of pride, joy, or love while also feeling profoundly misunderstood by people who don’t know me. They piece together whispers, creating their own narrative and assumptions about my life.” She continued, “I have learned the stark contrast in importance between these feelings.”
Grande conveyed that she has never felt more supported by her friends, family, and fans, especially during the challenges she faced this year. She expressed, “I feel secure even in the face of circumstances that would typically evoke fear. I am actively listening to and placing trust in myself, even when fear or trauma attempts to dissuade me.” She further explained, “I am choosing to respond to matters deserving of my energy while simultaneously distancing myself from and safeguarding against things that do not.”
Alongside the emotional turbulence in her personal life, Grande highlighted the sense of fulfillment she experienced in her career. Engaging in the film adaptation of Wicked, she also dedicated herself to creating new music, with plans for its release in the upcoming year.
“I am eternally grateful for the profound range of emotions I was fortunate enough to experience this year, both mine and akin to Galinda’s. From the immeasurably tough moments to the indescribably joyful ones,” she wrote. “I sense a heightened humanity within myself. I feel emotions more intensely than ever, simultaneously softer and stronger.” Grande concluded her message by extending wishes for a happy and healthy New Year to her followers. She reassured them that if they ever felt “misunderstood or alone,” it’s only temporary, and those feelings “will pass.”
