Heartbroken Ariana: ‘I will always love Mac’
The singer is devastated after ex’s shock death
Ariana Grande is distraught after her ex-boyfriend Mac Miller was found dead last week, after apparently overdosing. The 26-year-old rapper was discovered at his home in LA and, although a cause of death has not been officially confirmed, he had been open about substance abuse during his life.
“Everyone’s reassuring her that it’s not her fault at all, but she’s still beating herself up over whether she could’ve done more to save him, when the reality is, she couldn’t have – no one could,” a source tells heat. “Mac could party like he had a death wish, even when they were together, which is one of the reasons why she had to break it off with him.”
Following the news of Mac’s death, the heartbroken star – who dated the rapper for two years – posted a picture of her ex on Instagram in tribute, leaving the caption blank. “Ariana wishes she could say she was shocked when she heard the news, but this has been her biggest fear for Mac all along,” our insider says. “She had hoped he would beat his demons, but when he was involved in that car wreck after they split, she feared the worst for him.”
The pair announced they had split in May 2018, with Ariana saying she had “tried to support his sobriety” and “prayed” for him. Shortly afterwards, Mac was involved in a car crash, while under the influence of alcohol. Ariana then began dating comedian Pete Davidson a month later and the couple got engaged.
“Pete is taking it almost as hard as Ari,” our insider adds. “He wants to help her, but he feels that their whirlwind relationship could have contributed to Mac’s downfall. He doesn’t know how to comfort her other than to be there for her. Making matters worse for Ariana is all the horrible trolling she’s getting online from Mac’s fans saying he died because of her. Her friends are encouraging her not to log on at all, but of course she can’t help it.” And while Ariana is very much in love with her new fiancé, our insider says Mac will always be a huge part of her life. “He was her first true love, and the way he cared for her in the aftermath of the Manchester terror attack last year was nothing short of heroic. “He was the only thing that got her through that horrendous ordeal, and she’s devastated that she couldn’t do the same for him.”