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Celebrity

30th Dec 2023

‘Beautiful yet polarizing’ – Ariana Grande reflects on the past year

Jody Coffey

Ariana Grande has penned a moving post about the last year

Ariana Grande has opened up about the events of the past year, describing 2023 as a year of feeling ‘deeply misunderstood’.

This year, the singer joined the cast for the film adaptation of ‘Wicked’, separated and filed for divorce from her husband, Dalton Gomez, and is reportedly in a relationship with her co-star, Ethan Slater.

Looking back on 2023, the popstar opened up about the lessons she has learned throughout the most ‘transformative’ year of her life.

“One of the most transformative, most challenging and yet happiest and most special years of my life. There were so many beautiful yet polarizing feelings,” Ariana wrote in a lengthy Instagram post.

“I’ve never felt more at the mercy of and in acceptance of what life was screaming to teach me.”

In July, she and her estranged husband separated after two years of marriage.

Following their split, rumours of a new relationship with her ‘Wicked’ costar, Ethan Slater, began to swirl, with Slater filing for divorce from his wife, Lilly Jay, not long after.

Slater and Jay married in 2018 and welcomed their first child together in 2022, with Jay telling Page Six the breakdown of her marriage was because of the ‘Thank You, Next’ singer.

“[Ariana’s] the story, really. Not a girl’s girl. My family is just collateral damage,” she told the outlet.

In her reflective post on Instagram, Ariana says that in 2023, she felt ‘deeply misunderstood’.

“I have never felt more pride or joy or love while simultaneously feeling so deeply misunderstood by people who don’t know me, who piece whispers together and make what they want out of me and their assumptions of my life.

“I have learned how much more important one of those things is than the other. I feel safe even amidst so many things I’d usually be afraid of. I am listening to and trusting myself, even when fear or trauma tells me not to,” she continued.

“I am reacting to things that deserve my energy only and removing and protecting myself from things that do not.”

Despite the ups and downs in her personal life, the ‘Into You’ singer expressed she felt ‘fulfilled’ in her career, through acting in ‘Wicked’ and working on new music.

“I am so eternally grateful for all the feelings I was lucky enough to feel so deeply this year. Mine and Galinda’s [her Wicked character] alike,” she wrote.

“The unfathomably hard ones and the inexplicably happy ones. I feel more human than ever. I feel more deeply than ever. I feel softer and stronger all at once.”

Ariana finished her emotional and reflective post by ending well wishes to her followers for a happy and healthy 2024.

“I am wrapping you all in a cocoon of love and wishing you a very happy and healthy new year.

“If you ever feel misunderstood or alone, just remember it will pass and you are not.

“Take a deep breath and know you are so incredibly loved.”

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