7 of Ariana Grande's Biggest Scandals: From Alleged Cheating to Blackfishing and More

Ariana Grande found herself in hot water when Naya Rivera released her 2016 memoir, Sorry Not Sorry. In the book, the late Glee star opened up about catching Big Sean with someone, indirectly hinting at Grande's name.

"On the one day that he was back in LA, [Sean] said he didn't want to see me. But since she had a key, she let herself in to his house," said Rivera. "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.'"

While Grande did not respond to the allegations, she made her relationship with the rapper public in 2014 following his split from Rivera.

In July 2015, a video of Grande and her then-boyfriend, Ricky Alvarez, at Wolfee Donuts in California during the 4th of July went viral. In the clip, the "we can't be friends" hitmaker was seen licking pastries while an employee's back was turned.

After seeing a tray of fresh donuts being brought out, Grande said, "What the f--- is that? I hate Americans. I hate America! That's disgusting."

She immediately faced backlash after the video circulated online, prompting her to issue an apology statement addressing her behavior.

"I am EXTREMELY proud to be an American and I've always made it clear that I love my country. … As an advocate for healthy eating, food is very important to me and I sometimes get upset by how freely we as Americans eat and consume things without giving any thought to the consequences that it has on our health and society as a whole," Grande said, adding she should have had "more discretion with my choice of words."

Jennette McCurdy, Grande's costar on Sam & Cat, released her 2022 memoir, I'm Glad My Mom Died, in which she alleged she was forbidden to pursue other projects while working on the Nickelodeon spinoff. The network, which reportedly allowed the "Side to Side" singer to take on other opportunities, offered her $300,000 to maintain her silence about the experience.

"What finally undid me was when Ariana came whistle-toning in with excitement because she had spent the previous evening playing charades at Tom Hanks' house. That was the moment I broke," said McCurdy.

She added, "Ariana misses work in pursuit of her music career while I act with a box. I'm pissed about it. And I'm pissed at her. Jealous of her."

The series went on a production hiatus before its cancelation amid reports that Grande was earning more than McCurdy. The "Into You" singer dismissed the claims in a statement on X.

The Wicked actress was lambasted in 2019 over accusations of exploiting Asian culture due to her infamous Japanese tattoo typo error, which read "shinchirin" or a small charcoal grill.

She explained in a since-deleted post, "I can't read or write kanji obviously. What do you want me to do? It was done out of love and appreciation. What do you want me to say? U kno how many people make this mistake and DON'T care just cause they like how it looks? Bruh… I care sooooo much. What would u like me to do or say? Forreal."

Grande was also accused of plagiarizing "7 Rings." In a response that she eventually deleted, Grande said, "White women talking about their weaves is how we're gonna solve racism."

Countless rumors have emerged over the years, accusing Grande of being a diva because of her alleged unprofessional behavior and outrageous demands.

In 2014, reports claimed Grande insisted on only being photographed from her left side and that her team always had prepared a list of topics to be avoided during interviews.

Reflecting on her diva label, Grande explained to Zane Lowe how it affected her personally and professionally.

"I stopped doing interviews for a really long time because I felt like whenever I would get into a position where somebody would try to say something for clickbait or twist my words or blah, blah, blah, I would defend myself. And then, people would be like, ‘Oh, she's a diva.' I was like, ‘This doesn't make any sense,'" she said in 2020.

Most recently, Cassandra Peterson shared her worst celebrity encounter at one of her "Yours Cruelly, Elvira XXperience" shows, saying it involved "Periana Mande." Her audience immediately guessed it was Grande.

"She came [to my show] and she brought 20 guests. So she wanted 20 or 21 tickets, and we were like, 'OK,' and we gave her the tickets," said the 73-year-old Halloween queen, adding that Grande had asked if she could take photos of everyone with her.

Peterson continued, "So I take a picture with every single one of them. I sign autographs for every single one of them. Then I say to her, ‘Could we take a photo together?' and she goes, 'No, I don't really do that.'"

She also revealed that Grande left before her show started.

After her July 2023 separation from Dalton Gomez, Grande made headlines when she was linked to her married Wicked costar, Ethan Slater.

The public branded her a "homewrecker," as people assumed Slater was still with his then-wife, Lilly Jay, with whom he welcomed a child in 2022, when they began dating.

Meanwhile, Jay issued a statement to Page Six, saying, "[Grande's] the story really. Not a girl's girl. My family is just collateral damage. The story is her and Dalton."

Amid the drama surrounding her relationship with Slater, Grande released "yes, and?" — her first single in three years. Fans speculated it referenced their romance, as it also had the lyric, "Your business is yours and mine is mine / Why do you care so much whose d--- I ride?"

She lost over 350,000 Instagram followers due to her controversial choice of words.