Ariana Grande shared during The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast that her late ex-boyfriend Mac Miller played a key role in her journey to embrace her authentic self after her Nickelodeon career. The singer revealed Miller encouraged her to return to her natural brunette hair color and pursue R&B-influenced pop music as she transitioned out of her child-star persona.
Grande first adopted bright red hair for her role as Cat Valentine on Victorious in 2009, maintaining the color through 2014 while filming spin-off Sam & Cat. During those years, she juggled acting with music, often bleaching her hair brown after Friday shoots and restoring the red by Monday mornings—a process that severely damaged her hair and led to her signature ponytail style.
Miller, whom Grande collaborated with on her 2013 breakout single “The Way,” reassured her it was “okay to shed that character” and explore her artistic identity. Though they didn’t publicly date until 2016 (separating amicably in 2018 before his tragic death that September), she credited him with helping her find her sound.
After three years as a blonde for her role in Wicked, Grande returned to brunette in October 2025, reflecting her long-standing preference for her natural hair color over her former on-screen image. She previously stated the red hair symbolized a character she loved but was “not me.”