Who knew Saturday Night Live could work as a matchmaker for the stars? Maybe we're exaggerating a tiny bit, but the news that Ariana Grande is casually dating Pete Davidson, added to the fact that Colin Jost and Scarlett Johansson are still a thing, has our mind reeling with other potential host-cast-member couple possibilities. But first, let's get back to the not-quite-official couple at hand, Grande and Davidson, who were apparently looking "lovey-dovey" backstage at the Billboard Music Awards on Sunday night.
“After Ariana’s performance, they were backstage and he had his arm around her," an unnamed onlooker told People. "She seemed quite smitten."
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Did Lorne Michaels make this love connection? Well, we at least know that the two would have first met back in 2014, when Grande was a musical guest and Davidson was in the early weeks of his first season. We closely examined the closing credits of that episode, and the two don't even seem to hug on camera, let alone indicate an instant connection. (There is, sadly, a sweet kiss between host Chris Pratt and now-ex-wife Anna Faris.)
In Grande's next SNL appearance, when she shined as both host and star, Davidson shows up in her opening monologue. She's on the hunt for a big scandal to mark her graduation from child star to grownup, and Davidson offers to smoke some pot with her.
"Pot? Let's smoke some crack, man," she says.
"I'm good," he replies, and slinks off. So, true love, right? Again, there's no sign of them being extra chummy during the goodbye hugs. Still, let's assume those days planted the seeds of friendship that would germinate at this moment, when both are coincidentally single.
Another source told People that the romance is still in the early stages and is "very casual." Casual makes a lot of sense, since this would be a rebound for both Grande and Davidson. Just two weeks ago, Grande and Mac Miller confirmed their split after two years of dating.
"I respect and adore him endlessly and am grateful to have him in my life in any form, at all times regardless of how our relationship changes or what the universe holds for each of us!" the pop star and actress wrote of Miller in her Instagram Stories.
Davidson admitted two weeks ago that he'd split from Cazzie David (daughter of another SNL host, Larry David), whom he had been dating since 2016.
It's a good day to hear the happy news of this budding... something. Tuesday marks the one year anniversary of the Manchester bombing, which happened after Grande's concert in that city. Grande has spoken about the mixed up feelings she has about feeling happy and still destroyed by that tragedy. If the rumours are true, we hope Davidson, the son of a firefighter who died on 9/11, is a good source of wisdom and a fun distraction for her.