Ariana Grande’s divorce settlement details: $1.25 million for Dalton Gomez, who is not to give a single interview

In mid-July, another divorce in a summer full of them was announced. Singer Ariana Grande, 30, was separating from her husband, Dalton Gomez, 28, the real estate agent she had married in a secret ceremony two years earlier. The surprise of the breakup came days later, when the public learned that the pair had split up months earlier, at the beginning of the year, and that the singer and actress, who was working on a movie version of the musical Wicked, was dating one of her co-stars, Ethan Slater, who was also married until a few weeks ago. While her work has come to a halt because of the actors’ strike, the star remains in the public eye because of her personal life. And now she is again because the details of her million-dollar divorce from Gomez, who was also seen a few days ago making out with an actress, have been made public. The agreement shows that, while the couple has broken up, the details of their marriage will remain solely and exclusively known to them, and the general public will probably never know their fleeting love story.

Grande and Gomez formally filed for divorce in mid-September, and it looks like they and their high-powered lawyers have reached a resolution in less than a month. The divorce settlement states that the two will regain their official single status on March 19, 2024. Grande was represented by Laura Wasser, the celebrity lawyer for high-profile clients like Johnny Depp, Kim Kardashian and, most recently, Kevin Costner. The leaked divorce terms, which were obtained by media outlets such as The Blast — which quotes entire excerpts from the agreement — and corroborated by Page Six, show that the couple had a prenuptial agreement and that, more than money, privacy is the most important thing for the singer. Both have agreed to the end of their marriage quickly and, apparently, amicably.

In regard to money, Dalton will receive a one-time payment of $1,250,000 (approximately €1,180,000) from Grande; thereafter, he will not be entitled to any further financial support or pension. The documents state that “the parties acknowledge that there shall be no permanent spousal support payable by one party to the other party in this matter. This waiver of permanent spousal support is non-modifiable, irrespective of any changes in the parties’ respective health or financial circumstances.” Grande will also pay Gomez’s attorneys’ fees, around $25,000 (around €23,500).

For 30 days, Gomez has the right to use the house where they both lived for the past several years in Los Angeles, California, and in which they spent the pandemic together, free of charge. During that time, he cannot rent it to anyone. The couple intends to pay off the remaining mortgage of about $6 million by selling the house. Since it was jointly owned, they will split the proceeds, as well as the furniture and all the contents of the house, 50/50. For her part, she will keep all of her belongings: “Cars, clothes, jewelry, various personal items, her Nara painting, her earnings and what she acquired at any time, before, during and after the marriage.” The painting that especially stands out from the rest of the items refers to a portrait of her painted by the renowned Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara.

But the most striking part is the couple’s ironclad privacy agreement. Although both parties signed it, clearly Grande, a global superstar with 380 million Instagram followers and several Grammys to her name, is the main focus of the agreement, and aims to keep Gomez quiet about her. It prevents Gomez from saying a single word about the details of their relationship. He cannot “give any interview, write, appear in connection with, or assist or cooperate in the preparation or presentation of any book, article, interview, program or other production or publication of any kind whatsoever concerning the other party,” his now ex-wife.

In addition, both parties agreed to refrain from the “release, disclosure or publication of any photograph (and related negatives), tape, film or like embodiments in all forms whether now or hereafter created or other record or recording of any aspect of any activity in or about any home, office or other property owned.” Thus, they are forbidden from making documentaries and telling their story in mini-series or autobiographical films. Apparently, the agreement has no termination date, so their two-year-long marriage ties them together for life.

News broke in 2020 that the two were dating, and in December of that same year the artist announced to the world that they were engaged, just as Excuse Me, I Love You, the Netflix documentary chronicling her 2019 Sweetener World Tour, came out. They got married only six months later, in 2021, at a ceremony with just 20 guests at their home in Montecito, an hour north of Los Angeles.

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