Ariana Grande and Pete Davidson shocked their loyal followers on October 14, 2018 when it became apparent their relationship was over. For those who follow the pair on social media, their open flirtation and loving comments left fans confused and saddened about the announcement. After dating for only a few weeks, the couple moved in together, got engaged, got matching tattoos, and even adopted a pig they named Piggy Smalls. Davidson spared no expense for Ariana, creating a custom engagement ring reportedly worth $100,000. However, throughout their relationship, the Saturday Night Live star joked about their imbalance of fame and popularity. In a “Weekly Update” skit on SNL, Davidson said to the audience,

“Yeah, I did, I got engaged, and no one could believe it. And I can’t believe it, and I get it. She’s the number one pop star in the world and I’m that guy from SNL that everyone thinks is in desperate need of more blood.”

The couple was the picture of happiness on social media, yet their relationship quickly ended after only five months.

Pine Crest student, Natalia Hauser said, “When I saw that Pete and Ariana broke up, I was shocked. Even though their relationship was moving really fast, they looked so happy in their interviews and social media accounts that you really couldn’t tell that they were having problems. ”

There are multiple factors that could have led to the cause of their breakup. Many believe that it had something to do with the passing of Mac Miller, Ariana Grande’s ex boyfriend on September 7, 2018.

Ariana and Mac’s relationship began with a tweet in November of 2012 when Ariana tweeted, “What are you thankful for at the moment?” Mac responded to her tweet and said his album, “The Velvet Revival,” thus igniting the spark between the two of them. Shortly after this interaction, Grande and Miller collaborated for the first time on “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.” The collab was a success, which led them to produce “The Way.” Many fans remember the chemistry between Mac and Ariana in the music video, which started rumors of their relationship, even though Ariana was dating musician Jai Brooks at the time. In 2016, Mac and Ariana were spotted kissing at a restaurant after releasing the “Into You” remix, another collaboration. After dating for a year and a half, the couple officially broke up in May of 2018, yet stayed very close friends.

Ariana posted on her Instagram story a photo of them cuddling, where she wrote, “I respect and adore him endlessly and am grateful to have him in my life in any form, at all times regardless of how our relationship changes or what the universe holds for each of us!”

In September, only a couple months after their breakup, Miller was found dead from an overdose in his home in California. He had struggled with substance abuse and similarly related issues for a long time, including a DUI from a car accident in May.

After his death, Ariana posted multiple tweets about mental health as well as an explanation to her fans that she will be taking a break from social media. The death clearly shook her up and made her reevaluate her own life choices. Mac’s friend Shane Powers recently said that Ariana was an “unbelievable stabilizing force” in Mac’s life. He goes on to say that “there could not have been anybody more supportive of him being sober than Ariana.”

Grande was noticeably shaken after Miller’s death and the relationship with Davidson may have been more of a rebound rather than something serious. For Pete and Ariana’s family and friends, they were relieved that the couple decided to call off the engagement. “She threw herself into the relationship with Pete,” one source said. “She is young, but at least mature enough to realize this wasn’t the right relationship or the right time to get married.”

Sources: Vogue, TMZ, YouTube, Variety, Cosmopolitan, Billboard, US Magazine, HypeBeast, E Online