There has been a rise in celebrity drama and a noticeable amount of romance-fuelled celebrity drama. Some examples are Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas, Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney, and Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater. 

The majority of these stories contain rumors and speculation rather than facts. We never usually know the full story, which rings true with the recent drama surrounding Grande and her Wicked co-star Ethan Slater. Something that stood out was a quote from someone affected: Slater’s wife, Lilly Jay. 

She has gone through a lot of heartbreak, and if you’re interested in learning more details, plenty of articles air that out. But here is a brief summary of some of the facts in the story. 

“Ariana Grande and Dalton Gomez separated as of January 2023”, a source close to them claims to TMZ. They’ve officially filed for divorce in September. TMZ reports that Slater filed for divorce on July 26. Grande was friendly with the couple while they were still together and even went to their house and held Slater and Jay’s newborn baby, and it is rumored she and Slater were secretly dating at this time. They haven’t yet publicly commented on their new relationship, but sources close to them tell People Magazine, “They are just trying to navigate their new relationship in private.” 

Slater’s now ex-wife comments on the situation to Page Six. 

“[Ariana’s] the story, really. Not a girl’s girl,” Jay continues, “My family is just collateral damage.”

There are many differing opinions on this situation. Whatever your opinion, the phrase “Not a girl’s girl” is something interesting to dissect. On TikTok, you might find fun interpretations or even confusing ones; either way, there are plenty of videos of women expressing their own opinions on what a “girl’s girl” is. It's another label to define women, and is it really needed? 

But, what exactly is a girl’s girl? 

Here’s the definition provided by Urban Dictionary with an example: 

A girl who has respect for female etiquette. A girl who is not petty and strives to be ethical and decent in her dealings with her female friends.

Megan: Nuh-uh! Josh is totally off-limits!

Marie: But you've been crushing on him for months.

Megan: So what? Ashley and I are friends. I'd totally be shitting on girl etiquette to go after her ex.

Marie: Wow Megan, you're a real girl's girl.

-Submitted by Savari D

Many different labels are created for women, such as the manic pixie dream girl, the not-like-other girls, or the trophy wife, which all seem to serve and benefit men. A girl’s girl is the antithesis of these labels. For guys, they have the bro code and the phrase bros before hoes, which have many harmful notions. Being a girl’s girl is about supporting your fellow women, putting drama aside, and lifting each other up. It’s about staying away from the married guy. 

One might think that’s just called being a person with moral values, and we don’t need the label. While this may be true, being a girl’s girl is important, and here is why. Society has a way of pitting women against each other, vilifying women and comparing them. Sometimes, it’s done by other women. That’s why it’s important to be a girl’s girl and to counteract all the negativity being spread. See other women not as competition. Hold women accountable but have empathy. Lift each other up rather than tearing each other down. 

Speaking of celebrating women’s successes, Taylor Swift is among the most successful women today. In celebrating her success, let’s end with a quote from her song, “You Need To Calm Down” 

“And we see you over there on the internet

Comparing all the girls who are killing it

But we figured you out

We all know now, we all got crowns

You need to calm down”

Now, what is the key takeaway? Yes, Ariana Grande may have caused commotion with her choices. Yet, it opens up an important discussion about modern feminism. After Lilly Jay labeled her “Not a girl’s girl,” it lets us think of what a girl’s girl is. With that, I’d like to point out that being a girl’s girl isn’t the most inclusive term. Labels can sometimes do more harm than good, but what is crucial in this is that you embody the traits of what it means to be a girl’s girl. Have empathy, be kind, and support one another. Whether you embrace the label or not,  I encourage you to ask yourself, how have you supported women today?

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Featured Image: Ariana Grande via “break up with your girlfriend, i’m bored” Music video. Video Director: Hannah Lux Davis Video Producer: Brandon Bonfiglio for London Alley Entertainment Inc

Sources :

https://www.vulture.com/2023/07/ariana-grande-ethan-slater-divorces-wife.html

https://www.tmz.com/2023/09/18/ariana-grande-files-divorce-split-dalton-gomez-ethan-slater/

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-12345347/Ethan-Slaters-ex-wife-Lilly-says-focused-rebuilding-life-son-single-mom-insider-says-Ariana-Grande-hung-baby-times-having-AFFAIR-husband.html

https://pagesix.com/2023/07/27/ethan-slaters-estranged-wife-lilly-jay-blasts-ariana-grande/

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Girl%27s%20girl

Swift, T. 2017. You need to calm down [Lyrics] Retrieved from https://genius.com/Taylor-swift-you-need-to-calm-down-lyrics