Ariana Grande & Mac Miller: Full Timeline of Their Story

Ariana Grande & Mac Miller

Start: Met in 2012 · “The Way” (2013) · friends first.
Relationship: Dated 2016–2018 · strong bond on and off stage.
Loss: Died Sept 7, 2018 · age 26 · remembered in “thank u, next.”
Legacy: Shaped her sound · Eternal Sunshine is a tribute.

Ariana Grande and Mac Miller’s story spans six years from a Twitter friendship in 2012 to a romance that ended in May 2018. Miller died on September 7, 2018, from an accidental drug overdose at age 26, per the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner. His influence on Grande’s career and music runs deeper than their two-year relationship it shaped the sound she still makes today. Her 2024 Republic Records album Eternal Sunshine takes its title from Miller’s favourite film, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, per Numéro magazine.

They first collaborated in 2012 on “The Way” her debut Republic Records single
Their official relationship lasted from August 2016 to May 2018
Grande called him “an angel” in “thank u, next,” released October 2018
The Eternal Sunshine album title is a direct tribute to him, per multiple 2024 interviews

How Ariana Grande and Mac Miller Met in 2012

Grande and Miller first connected on Twitter in 2012, when she was 19 years old. Their first creative collaboration was a cover of “Baby It’s Cold Outside,” followed by “The Way” in 2013. “The Way,” released on Republic Records, became Grande’s breakout Billboard Hot 100 hit.

Miller appeared in the “The Way” music video and performed the rap verse on the track. Grande has said in interviews that Miller encouraged her to pursue R&B-influenced pop rather than stay in a traditional Nickelodeon mould. That creative push is widely credited with shaping the sound of her first two albums, Yours Truly (2013) and My Everything (2014).

At a December 2025 talk at Chapman University, Grande credited Miller with helping her find her voice as an artist, per Us Weekly reporting.

The Friendship Years 2012 to 2016

Grande and Miller maintained a close friendship for four years before their relationship became public. Their bond was visible to fans long before they confirmed anything; they appeared together frequently in interviews, on social media, and at industry events. Miller appeared at her One Love Manchester benefit concert on June 4, 2017, supporting her in the weeks after the May 22 bombing.

Grande has described those years as proof that their connection was never just romantic. “I met him when I was 19,” she told the Ariana Grande Wiki Fandom community. “We have loved and adored and respected each other since the beginning, since before we even met, just because” The statement, often quoted by fans, captures the depth of a bond that predated the relationship entirely.

The Relationship August 2016 to May 2018

Grande and Miller were first photographed together at a sushi restaurant in August 2016. They confirmed their relationship publicly in September 2016, including a joint appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. The two years that followed were among the most visible of Grande’s personal life.

Grande has said in retrospect that those years contained some of her happiest moments alongside some of the most difficult. She has spoken openly about supporting Miller through his struggles with substance abuse during that period. In a May 2018 statement on Twitter, she described him as “one of her favourite people on the planet” while confirming the split.

Why They Broke Up In Her Own Words

Grande addressed the breakup directly on Twitter in May 2018 after a fan blamed her for Miller’s DUI arrest. “I am not a babysitter or a mother and no woman should feel that they need to be,” she wrote, per BBC reporting. She said she had “warned him” and “tried to support his sobriety” for years before the relationship ended.

She told W Magazine: “Of course I didn’t share about how hard or scary it was while it was happening, but it was.” She has been consistent that the split was not about a lack of love it was about recognising an unsustainable dynamic. She has also been consistent in pushing back against any framing that blamed her for Miller’s struggles.

“Shaming and blaming women for a man’s inability to keep his s together is a very major problem,” she wrote in 2018, per Yahoo Entertainment.

Mac Miller’s Death September 7, 2018

Mac Miller died on September 7, 2018, from an accidental drug overdose at his home in Studio City, California. He was 26 years old. The cause of death was listed as mixed drug toxicity, per the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner. Grande posted a photograph of Miller to Instagram on September 14, 2018, with no caption, per Variety.

She has not spoken extensively about his death in press, which is her right. What she has shared has been through her music and in brief moments during long form interviews. In “thank u, next,” released six weeks after his death on Republic Records, she referred to him directly: “Wish I could say thank you to Malcolm ’cause he was an angel.”

How Mac Miller Shaped Ariana Grande’s Music His Lasting Influence

The title of Grande’s seventh studio album, Eternal Sunshine, released March 8, 2024 on Republic Records, references Miller’s favourite film. Numéro magazine reported the connection in August 2024, noting it as a deliberate tribute rather than coincidence. Fans have also identified sonic and lyrical references to Miller across her catalogue in “off the table,” “just like magic,” and “we can’t be friends.”

At her Chapman University appearance in December 2025, Grande said Miller did “the brave thing” by encouraging her to leave the Nickelodeon version of herself behind. She credited him with pushing her toward the sound on Yours Truly an album she has called the most honest record she has made. His influence on her artistry is, by her own account, inseparable from her career.

FAQ

How long did Ariana Grande and Mac Miller date?
Ariana Grande and Mac Miller dated for nearly two years, from August 2016 to May 2018. Their friendship began in 2012, making their full connection closer to six years.

Why did Ariana Grande and Mac Miller break up?
Grande said the relationship had become “toxic” and “scary” due to Miller’s ongoing struggles with substance abuse, per BBC and W Magazine. She has said she supported his sobriety for years before ending the relationship.

What did Ariana Grande say when Mac Miller died?
Grande posted a photograph of Miller on Instagram on September 14, 2018, one week after his death, per Variety. In “thank u, next,” she called him “an angel.”

Is Eternal Sunshine named after Mac Miller?
Yes — Grande’s 2024 album title references Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Miller’s favourite film, per Numéro magazine. She has confirmed the title is a tribute.

What was Ariana Grande and Mac Miller’s first song together?
Their first collaboration was a cover of “Baby It’s Cold Outside” in 2012, followed by “The Way” in 2013 — Grande’s debut Republic Records single, on which Miller performed a rap verse.