No reliable public evidence in the available reporting shows that Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber secretly dated. The speculation grew after a 2013 photo of Bieber kissing Grande on the cheek, but Grande described the moment as friendly and said they barely saw each other during their tour overlap. Contemporary coverage instead reported her relationship with The Wanted singer Nathan Sykes. That does not prove a private relationship was impossible; it means the public evidence does not substantiate the rumor.
Why people wondered if Grande and Bieber were dating
The rumor centered on a selfie Grande posted in August 2013. In a contemporaneous account, Grande said fans had been asking for a photo, Bieber suggested they take one, and he kissed her on the cheek. She said she felt shy afterward. The image prompted fan backlash and speculation about whether the singers were more than friends. UPI reported Grande’s explanation and response in September 2013.
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Grande pushed back on the assumption that a boy and a girl could not simply be friends: “Everyone, girls are allowed to be friends with guys. I’m a lady. Chill out.” In a September interview, she also called the reaction to the kiss controversy silly and referred to Bieber as a friend. E! News covered her comments.
They said they barely spent time together
The singers had overlapping tour and music-industry connections, which made the photo seem like part of a bigger story to fans. But Grande said people assumed they spent a lot of time together because they were on tour, when in her recollection she had seen Bieber once for about five minutes. That account, reported by UPI in September 2013, does not fit the image of a close, ongoing relationship.
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- translucent pearly white vinyl, gatefold jacket, printed die-cut inner sleeve, 16-page 12x12" booklet featuring lyrics and photos
Their professional connection—and the Sykes context
Grande and Bieber were connected professionally. A November 2013 Guardian profile said their manager, Scooter Braun, introduced them professionally for the duet “Almost Is Never Enough.” The same profile described Grande as being in a relationship with Nathan Sykes, then a member of The Wanted.
Other contemporary coverage also placed Grande and Sykes together. On September 24, 2013, TMZ reported that they were officially dating, attributing that claim to sources close to them. Its description of Bieber as a rumored hookup is anonymous tabloid characterization, not confirmation of a Grande–Bieber relationship. In December, ABC News reported Grande discussing her first date with Sykes.
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What the evidence does—and does not—establish
The cheek-kiss selfie explains why the question arose, while Grande’s own comments framed it as a friendly moment. The professional link between the singers was real, but the contemporaneous sources reviewed here do not reliably establish that they secretly dated. A 2014 Entertainment Tonight story about Grande clarifying a brief past dating situation does not identify Bieber, so it cannot serve as evidence of a romance between them. The careful answer is that the rumor circulated but remains unsubstantiated by the available public record.
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- Positions is the sixth studio album by Ariana Grande, released in 2020 on Republic Records
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