MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - JUNE 04: Mac Miller (L) and Ariana Grande perform on stage during the One Love Manchester Benefit Concert at Old Trafford Cricket Ground on June 4, 2017 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/One Love Manchester/Getty Images for One Love Manchester)
Celebrities

Misogynists Are Already Blaming Ariana Grande For Mac Miller’s Death

Rapper Mac Miller has been pronounced dead at 26, as reported by TMZ, from an apparent overdose. He was found on Friday in his home in the San Fernando Valley. Police had responded to a call put in by a friend of Miller’s at his house. Miller has been very open about his drug use, in both his music and in interviews. He was also arrested in May for a DUI, after fleeing the scene of a crash.

Addiction is a terrible disease, and for many in recovery it is a constant fight to stay sober. Unfortunately, when tragedy strikes, nuance seems to disappear. Since Miller’s death was announced, his ex-girlfriend Ariana Grande has been flooded with hateful messages on Twitter and Instagram. Even in the very first announcement of Miller’s death in TMZ, Grande was getting the blame:

It’s gotten so bad, that Grande has already disabled comments on her Instagram account, even though it’s only been hours since Miller’s death became public, according to Newsweek, but Pop Crave screen grabbed some of them for posterity:

They’re also there on Twitter:

Miller’s death is in no way Ariana Grande’s responsibility. She is not his caretaker, she’s his ex-girlfriend. When they parted ways earlier in 2018, she gave this statement:

“This is one of my best friends in the world and favorite people on the planet Malcolm McCormick. I respect and adore him endlessly and am grateful to have him in my life in any form, at all times regardless of how our relationship changes or what the universe holds for each of us.

“Unconditional love is not selfish. It is wanting the best for that person, even if at the moment, it’s not you.”

It is common to blame the women in men’s lives for their problems, but part of the reason Grande and Miller split was his inability to stay sober. She was never obligated to stay with him through his dangerous ups-and-downs, which is something we should all understand. But it still needs to be said: it’s not her fault.

Mac Miller’s death is awful; his friends and family and fans will all be looking for reasons why this happened. Ariana Grande is absolutely suffering, too, for the loss of someone who meant a great deal to her. This attack shows how conditioned we are to always try to find a woman to blame, so let’s just cut it off at the pass now.