Ariana Grande, Big Sean Split; Is Justin Bieber To Blame For Breakup?

Ariana Grande and Big Sean have decided to go their separate ways after just eight months together. Reps for both the “Love Me Harder” songstress and her former beau say the two “deeply care for each other and remain close friends,” however.

“We kindly ask that the media respect their wish for privacy regarding this personal matter at this time,” the reps said in a joint statement.

Us Weekly reports the pair called it quits due to conflicting tour schedules. Sources say the former couple broke it off weeks ago to avoid having to be “apart over the next year.” Big Sean is currently hard at work promoting “Dark Sky Paradise,” while Ariana is in the middle of her Honeymoon Tour. On April 4, both the “Control” rapper and the former Nickelodeon star tweeted heartfelt messages, presumed to be about one another. Though they did not reference anyone in particular, the tweets seemingly support claims they split quite recently.

Although Us claims it was an amicable split, others speculate that another well-known musician tore them apart. Justin Bieber surprised concertgoers by joining Ariana on stage during her April 8 show at the Forum in Los Angeles. During the performance, much to Big Sean’s dismay, the 21-year-old pop star got cozy with Ariana, putting his arms around her waist and nuzzling his face into her neck.

Despite being out of the country at the time, Big Sean was quick to react. After catching wind of what had happened via social media, he tweeted that Justin was “about to learn not to touch my girl like that.” The post was later deleted.

Neither Big Sean nor Ariana have addressed the rumors surrounding their split.