Jhene Aiko has been dating Big Sean for well over three years now, having told fans they definitely plan on settling down and starting a family together in the future — but did you know that before the doting couple got together, Sean was seeing Ariana Grande?
While their romance didn’t work out, lasting less than a year, fans recall how Ariana and Jhene crossed paths while the “Positions” hitmaker walked the red carpet with her ex-beau at the 2015 Grammy Awards. Months later, Ari and Sean split, before it was announced the latter had moved on with Jhene.
Ever since then, it’s claimed that the two pop superstars haven’t quite seen eye-to-eye, with some convinced they’ve even dissed each other on their songs.
Ariana Grande’s 'Feud' With Jhene Aiko
By the look of things, it may seem as if Ariana could be under the impression that Jhene was partially to blame as to why she and Sean never worked through their relationship problems — particularly since the rapper wasted no time to jump into a new romance after calling it quits with Ari.
While neither artist ever gave any indication that there was a feud brewing behind the scenes, fans have come up with a theory, insisting that they’ve been hinting at their dislike for one another in each other’s music.
In February 2019, for example, the Nickelodeon alum released her hit single “Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored,” lifted from her fifth album Thank U, Next, and from what’s been gathered, people are under the impression the song’s about Sean.
Following the music video release that same month, fans seemed certain that the 27-year-old had penned the track about her ex-boyfriend.
“I dont care what Ariana say that song "Break up with your girlfriend" is about Big Sean the lyrics are just too fitting and she could have chosen any song as the next single they all bops,” one person wrote on Twitter.
Another continued: “So obvious this song is about Big Sean and Jhene Aiko. If we didn’t know better, Ariana is giving all kinds of clues that she’d still hook up with Sean if his girlfriend wasn’t in the picture.”
While fans had made their minds up on who Ariana was singing about on the song, it still wasn’t enough evidence to call a verdict on the matter — if anything, there still wasn’t any clear indication pointing at direct shade towards Jhene.
Well, leave it to the latter to confirm what fans had known all along.
In November 2019, Jhene dropped her song “None of Your Concern” from her third studio album Chilombo, but this time, the shade seemed to be much more apparent than in the way Ariana had worded it on “BUWYG.”
"I've been hearin' things and seeing things and so it seems you movin' on from me / Of course you on the scene with little miss thing, and trust me she really don't want beef,” the mother of one sings on the track.
It’s believed that “little miss thing” is a pseudonym for Ariana, but even if we were to assume it wasn’t about the “Problems” chart-topper, Jhene clearly wants this woman to back off from her man.
“That's besides the point /I’m disappointed as a homie /What is it you see? / I want better for you, moving forward / What’s better,” she continues.
Back when Ariana and Big Sean’s split was announced in 2016, reports claimed that the pair were simply too busy to focus on their romance, with both artists readying up their respective tours that would’ve kept them apart for months had they stayed together.
Sources asserted that things cooled down soon after that, explaining: “They made the decision to part ways because their conflicting touring schedules would keep them apart over the next year.”
“It hasn’t been easy though with both of their busy schedules lately and they know it’s going to get even harder in the next few months. This was really difficult for them to publicly call it quits, but they thought it would be better this way, so people know there is no bad blood between them at all.”
In December 2020, Ariana shared with her fans on Instagram that she’s engaged to her fiancé Dalton Gomez, whom she’s been dating since the start of the year.
She was previously engaged to Saturday Night Live star Pete Davidson, but their romance fizzled out after just five months. The two were caught up in a vicious social media feud following their breakup at the end of 2018 and while initially having hoped to remain friends, the two are no longer said to be on speaking terms with one another.