Ariana Grande's Biggest Controversies Over The Years

The following article includes references to substance use.

Ariana Grande seems to have it all, but her career hasn't been without its fair share of scandals. From "Doughnutgate" to homewrecker allegations, she's been at the center of some wild controversies that got both fans and haters talking.

One of Grande's most notorious misdeeds dates back to 2015, when the then-22-year-old pop sensation found herself at the center of a media storm dubbed "Doughnutgate." TMZ obtained surveillance footage from Wolfee Donuts in Lake Elsinore, California, that captured the songstress goofing off with her boyfriend, backup dancer Ricky Alvarez, before sneakily licking doughnuts on display. Her behavior didn't improve when an employee placed a new tray of doughnuts on the counter. "What the f*** is that?" she said. "I hate Americans. I hate America." What followed was local health inspectors going to the shop and lowering its rating for having unprotected food on display. "She should be charged," the owner told Inside Edition of what he wanted to happen to Grande. This didn't happen, but she did get uninvited from a White House performance she had coming up.

Grande later explained to E! News that her comment was a reaction to America's obesity rates but recognized that her words were inappropriate. An apology video followed in which she said, "I was so disgusted with myself." She also assured her fans, "I've actually never been prouder to be American." But not everyone accepted her apology. "Those poor people who like to buy doughnuts also buy a lot of your stupid music," said Fox News host Laura Ingraham on her show (via E! News). "Maybe you should return the money to people who like jelly doughnuts who also like Ariana Grande Estupido — Estupida!" (Why did she drop Spanish in there, though?) 

Ariana Grande rose to fame on the hit Nickelodeon show "Victorious," in which she starred alongside Victoria Justice. When it was prematurely canceled in 2012 after just three years, an ask.fm user suggested the cancellation was due to Grande beginning work on the spin-off, "Sam and Cat." Grande replied, "Sweetheart the only reason Victorious ended is because 1 girl didn't want to do it. She chose to do a solo tour instead of a cast tour," she wrote, likely referring to Justice's tour that would happen later that year. She added that the shows could have been filmed simultaneously. "I'm sick of this bs," the songstress concluded (via Cosmopolitan). 

Justice did not stay silent. In a tweet that was apparently directed at Grande, she wrote, "Some people would throw some1 that they consider a friend under the bus just 2 make themselves look good. #StopBeingAPhony #IfTheyOnlyKnew." 

Signs of a feud did not cease. Months later, the "Dangerous Woman" hitmaker told Seventeen, "I worked with someone who told me they'd never like me." Seeking her unidentified castmate's approval, Grande said she changed herself. "I was so unhappy," she added. On "The Meredith Vieira Show," Justice revealed that Grande reached out to her about the Seventeen article and assured her that she was actually talking about a former Broadway co-star. Justice also said the feud speculation "couldn't be farther from the truth." However, she did admit, "Sure, we've had our differences." As for Grande, she issued a statement to Seventeen that read in part, "My years filming 'Victorious' were some of the HAPPIEST of my life and that cast is family to me." But the drama didn't end — five years later, in 2018, most of the cast of "Victorious" appeared in Grande's "thank u, next" music video, but not Justice.

Ariana Grande has never been shy about her love of horror. She told Vogue she had a "Jaws"-themed party at 3 years old, and as a child, she sometimes wore a "Friday the 13th" Jason mask at home. However, fans were shocked — not to say grossed out — when her mother shared a few details about some unusual practices in the Grande household: when Ariana and her controversial brother, Frankie Grande, were kids, she would buy hearts and organs at the butcher for them to use creatively. "The kids would paint blood on the walls. I remember Ariana's little handprints," she told Elle. 

While YouTube users were vocal about how they found this revelation "disturbing" and "unsanitary," the Grammy winner didn't seem to find it too odd. "My family is eccentric and weird and loud and Italian," she told Vogue. "There was always this fascination with the macabre."

Grande has also shared her obsession with true crime. In a 2024 appearance on "Podcrushed," she even confessed, "I was infatuated with serial killers when I was younger." Her most scandalous comment on the subject, though, was during her Nickelodeon era, when a young fan asked her in a Q&A who her dream dinner guest would be. Her answer? Jeffrey Dahmer. She recounted that conversation on "Podcrushed," saying she told the fan, "[He] is pretty fascinating. I think I would have loved to have met him. Y'know, maybe with a third party or someone involved. But I have questions." Her comments about the infamous serial killer and cannibal weren't well received by the parents at the Q&A, and neither by the victim's families. Shirley Hughes, the mother of one of Dahmer's 17 victims, told TMZ the singer was "sick" in response to her podcast appearance.

Ariana Grande's relationship with rapper Mac Miller seemed like a musical fairytale. After exchanging tweets in 2012, they collaborated on the song "Baby, It's Cold Outside" and soon after, "The Way." However, they didn't start dating until 2016, still making music together and writing songs about each other. But their romance was not free of challenges, especially due to Miller's substance misuse. After their breakup in 2018, Grande became vocal about their issues. She claimed their relationship was "toxic" and revealed it was "scary" witnessing Miller struggle with addiction. While she said she was supportive during that time, she also tweeted, "I am not a babysitter or a mother" (via E! News).

Sadly, things didn't get any better. Later that same year, Miller died from an apparent overdose, a tragedy that Grande admitted she felt guilty for. "I'm so sorry I couldn't fix or take your pain away," she wrote in an Instagram tribute to Miller (via Insider). The internet, however, was quick to point fingers at her, blaming her for his untimely death. Her social media platforms were bombarded with hateful messages to the point that she turned her Instagram comments off. "You lowkey evil," someone had written on a post in her feed. "You did this to him, smh," read another comment (via ET Online). 

"If I'm completely honest, I don't remember those months of my life because I was (a) so drunk and (b) so sad," Grande told Vogue a year later, opening up about her journey with grief. She reiterated how complicated their relationship had become due to Miller's addiction. "By no means was what we had perfect," she went on, "but, like, f***. He was the best person ever, and he didn't deserve the demons he had."

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

"Homewrecker" is a word the internet has been using incessantly against Ariana Grande since 2023. While filming "Wicked," she started dating co-star Ethan Slater. The pair were both recent divorcees, sparking speculation about the timeline of their relationship. TMZ confirmed Grande's separation from her then-husband, Dalton Gomez, the same month Us Weekly confirmed that of Slater and his then-wife, Lily Jay. For many, this was a suspicious coincidence. Just a few days after Slater filed for divorce, sources told the Daily Mail he and Grande had been secretly seeing each other for months. Affair rumors started flying around, which only strengthened with Jay's remarks to Page Six on the subject: "[Ariana's] the story, really. Not a girl's girl. My family is just collateral damage." As of this writing, Grande and Slater haven't outright denied the cheating rumors.

This wasn't the first time the "Yes, And?" hitmaker was accused of homewrecking. In 2014, Grande and rapper Big Sean went public with their relationship shortly after his engagement to "Glee" alumni Naya Rivera ended. However, in her memoir, "Sorry Not Sorry," Rivera revealed that she discovered Grande at Big Sean's house during their engagement, seemingly implying that cheating was involved. She wrote, "I walk in, go downstairs, and guess what little girl is sitting cross-legged on the couch listening to music? ... It rhymes with 'Smariana Schmande.'" However, Rivera later clarified to Hollywood Today, "I never said they were cuddling," nor that an affair happened, only that Grande was present and on the couch.

Still, many netizens remain convinced Grande is a homewrecker. In late 2024, conservative personality Candace Owens even joked on her podcast, "I intend on opening a hoe clinic — yes, a rehab for hoes — and I want Ariana Grande to be my first customer."

Ariana Grande's multiple transformations in her appearance, diction, and behavior have sparked cultural appropriation accusations. Many internet users who aren't die-hard Arianators have been unsure of her actual race for years. In 2014, netizens jokingly referred to the Italian-American pop star as "Blackiana" because she had started speaking with a so-called "blaccent" and African-American Vernacular English. The dark tan she began rocking didn't help matters. The internet accused her of "Blackfishing" to sell records, and even her ex-boyfriend, SNL alumni Pete Davidson, shaded the songstress in his Netflix special, saying his career would be over if, like Grande, he "spray-painted (himself) brown and hopped on the cover of Vogue magazine" (via Insider). 

Years later, when she received Billboard's 2018 Woman of the Year award, Grande made a joke that confused folks about her ethnicity again: "I just wanted to say thank you guys so much for coming to my quinceañera." A comment on a YouTube video about the racebending accusations read, "For the longest time as a kid, I thought she was Latina and then I found out and I was like WHAT." And as if two races weren't enough, the Grammy winner had a photoshoot with makeup that was reminiscent of K-pop stars, especially due to it changing the shape of her eyes. She even called herself "Ari-Chan" in her song "bad idea," and X users accused her of chanting it with a stereotypical Japanese accent. 

Then, "Wicked" happened. The 2024 film starred Grande as Glinda, a white, blond witch who spoke in a delicate and soft voice with a posh accent, which she used off-screen as well. "No race left to try," wrote an Instagram user.