Ariana and Mac were a beloved couple, but ultimately broke up in May 2018, with Ari describing their relationship as “toxic” at the time. Then, just four months later, Mac died of an accidental overdose.
A week after his sudden death, Ariana memorably shared a moving tribute on Instagram, describing the rapper — whose real name was Malcom James McCormick — as her “dearest friend.”
“I adored you from the day I met you when I was 19, and I always will. I can’t believe you aren’t here anymore,” she wrote at the time. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t fix or take your pain away. I really wanted to.”
Since then, Ari hasn’t spoken much about Mac in public. However, in a recent live interview with the Hollywood Reporter, the Wicked star sweetly credited her late ex for the role he played in her early music career, saying that he encouraged her to “do the brave thing” and make “R&B-influenced pop music” on her 2013 debut album, Yours Truly.
“I’ve never said that [before],” she said to applause from the live audience. “I’m really thankful for that.”
In fan footage of the interview — which will be released in full as an upcoming episode of THR’s Awards Chatter podcast — Ariana can also be heard talking about Mac’s popular feature on her 2013 single, “The Way,” which notably earned both artists their first-ever top-ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
“That’s also a part of why I was so eager to ask him to be a part of it,” she said, reflecting on his influence on Yours Truly. “Not only because he was perfect for the song, but I also felt like I had him to thank for finding my sound.”
BRB, time to go re-listen to Yours Truly and Mac’s entire discography.