A photo of Ariana Grande with BLACKPINK member Rosé at the MTV Video Music Awards has reignited a years-old social-media theory that the K-pop star is somehow connected to subsequent celebrity breakups, prompting fans to speculate about the future of Grande’s relationship with actor Ethan Slater.
Grande, 32, took home multiple awards at Sunday night’s VMAs, including Video of the Year. After she posed for pictures with Rosé (Park Chae-young), users on X — formerly Twitter — reposted the image and resurrected an inside joke that has circulated online since 2023, commonly referred to as the “Rosé curse.”
The idea, which Know Your Meme says went viral in 2023, is framed by fans as a coincidence-based pattern in which celebrities who are photographed with Rosé later experience high-profile relationship splits. Posts on X included comments such as “Oh Ethan, I’m so sorry” and “The curse continues,” while others urged the actor to “pack your bags.” The posts are circulating as part of lighthearted and sometimes anxious fan commentary rather than any verified causal link.
Supporters of the theory have pointed to numerous instances where Rosé was photographed with public figures before those figures' relationships ended, citing examples such as a 2021 image with Gigi Hadid, a late-2022 VMAs photograph with Taylor Swift, and appearances alongside Florence Pugh, Bella Poarch and Kendall Jenner at various events. Fans and social accounts have noted the timing of those images in relation to subsequent reports of breakups, but the timeline does not establish causation and the examples cited span a range of circumstances and timelines.
Grande and Slater, 33, met while working on the film adaptation of the Broadway musical Wicked. Their romance was reported publicly in July 2023, weeks after reports that Grande had split from then-husband Dalton Gomez. Media reports have detailed that Grande and Slater spent time together around the film’s production and that acquaintances saw them socially prior to the public announcement of their relationship. A Daily Mail source in March said the couple had discussed marriage and that the relationship had been under stress, but neither Grande nor Slater has made public statements directly addressing the “curse” posts.
Celebrity photos often generate rapid online commentary and memes that conflate coincidence with pattern. Experts in digital culture say viral in-jokes can spread quickly across platforms and take on a life of their own, shaping fan narratives even when there is no factual basis for the claims. The resurfacing of the Rosé meme after the VMAs is consistent with that pattern of rapid, informal folklore in fandom spaces.
Representatives for Grande, Slater and Rosé did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The VMAs appearance was part of Grande’s public promotion following recent releases and performances; Rosé’s presence at the event reflected her continuing international profile with BLACKPINK and solo activities. For now, fan conversations on X and other social platforms continue to drive the narrative about the photo’s possible implications, even as no official confirmation or evidence links the image to any change in Grande and Slater’s relationship status.