When a teary-eyed Ariana Grande thanked her fans for their unwavering support through all the many ‘chapters’ in her life, some suspected her raw on-stage emotions had little to do with being overwhelmed by the crowd’s deafening cheers.Rather, they speculated that the 32-year-old’s tears at her Saturday concert in Los Angeles were tied to her recent split from her boyfriend of three years, Wicked co-star Ethan Slater, 34.But a family insider has exclusively told the Daily Mail that Grande’s personal struggles pre-date the break-up, which, they noted, ‘was a long time coming.”It has been on-again, off-again. We didn’t know the last ‘off’ was going to be the final ‘off,’ but here we are,’ the insider said, adding that the on-again, off-again relationship was like ‘whiplash’ and their ‘off’ breaks became longer as the years went on.Grande and Slater met in 2022 on the set of Wicked while she was still married to luxury realtor Dalton Gomez and Slater to his high school sweetheart Lilly Jay, but started dating after their marriages ended. It was revealed last week that the pair have been ‘broken up for months,’ but still remain friends. ‘I’m not saying she and Ethan were toxic, but they should definitely have ended things earlier. They weren’t connecting, not vibing,’ the source said. ‘The relationship was not serving either of them, they knew it, but neither one of them wanted to pull the plug. No one wanted to say it was over, but it was over, and it had clearly been over.’We all saw that one coming, and that’s not why things are hard for her now.’ Grande broke down in tears during her second Eternal Sunshine show in Los Angeles on Saturday night, leaving fans concerned about her wellbeing Grande and Ethan Slater, 34, quietly broke up earlier this year, but still remain friends’She’s really hurting… and it’s hard to watch for anyone who really loves her,’ the insider continued. ‘She loves hard, she follows her heart, and she’s had a lot of trauma. That’s made the last few years so hard for her.’ In fact, our source claimed that the singer has been floundering since 2024. ‘You want to know what the worst thing has been for her? The thing that sent her off? The Quiet on Set documentary,’ the source said. ‘It really f***ed with her head, in a very big way.’The 2024 investigative mini-series scrutinized the alleged abuse behind the scenes of Nickelodeon children’s programming from the 1990s through the 2010s, during which time Grande starred on two of the network’s hit shows.The documentary, our insider claimed, forced Grande to confront aspects of her early fame that she had long tried to avoid.’She didn’t want to watch it, was going to avoid it, and then it became so huge, and it did a number on her,’ our source said.’It really triggered her, knowing how she had been used, when she was a teenager, and not even realizing how much she was being used.’Grande was just 16 when she landed the role of Cat Valentine on Victorious in 2010. The series ran for four seasons before ending in 2013, after which she reprised the character in the spin-off Sam & Cat for a year.At the height of Victorious’ popularity, Nickelodeon also launched The Slap, a companion website featuring behind-the-scenes videos and original content tied to the show. Among the recurring segments was Cat’s Random Thoughts, a series of short videos and comedy sketches. Several clips featuring Grande have since been criticized for being inappropriate, including one showing her trying to get juice from a potato – which involved her squeezing it as hard as possible and letting out loud moaning noises – and attempting to drink water upside down, which resulted in it spilling all over her head and chest. Another showed her putting her fingers down her throat and putting her toes in her mouth.’Seeing herself at 16 trying to milk a potato on a bed, that f***s you up when you’re older and you rewatch it and are like “oh that was to make old men get off,”‘ the source said.’That’s a lot for anyone.’The Daily Mail has contacted Nickelodeon for comment. Several clips featuring Grande have since come under criticism for being inappropriate, including one showing her trying to get juice from a potato Other clips featured her sticking her hand down her throat and putting her toes in her mouthGrande’s split from Slater has renewed fans’ fears for the star’s well-being. Indeed, from her dramatic weight change during the Wicked press tour and her emotional interviews, to her exhausting promotional schedules and a highly publicized love life, her loyal Arianators have worried whether she was quietly struggling behind the scenes. Those concerns reached fever pitch as she kicked off her 41-date tour this month.Videos of Grande circulated online with the singer appearing to be low energy on stage, as fans emphasized that her sternum, ribs and collarbones were clearly visible. Despite the worry over her health and appearance, our insider denied that Grande has an eating disorder and offered a different explanation for her recent weight fluctuations.’Ari doesn’t eat when she gets stressed, and then she loses weight, and then people make comments, which makes her more stressed, and then she doesn’t eat. It’s a vicious cycle,’ the source said.’It’s weird that people feel like they can make comments about her body. You wouldn’t say that to someone on the street, why is it okay to say it about Ariana Grande? It’s just weird to me.’The Eternal Sunshine Tour – Grande’s first in seven years – will run for just under three months, until September 1, with stops across North America and a short residency in London. Grande’s appearance sparked concern for her well-being during the Wicked press tour Videos of Grande on tour have circulated online While notably much shorter and smaller than her previous global tours, our source insisted the pared-back schedule had nothing to do with the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing at Grande’s concert, which killed 22 people and injured more than 1,000.’It started long before Manchester,’ the source said. Even so, the attack remains an unavoidable part of the singer’s touring history and is a constant worry for those close to Grande, who has been transparent about her struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder following the terrorist attack.The tour is only the latest in a string of commitments, her upcoming eighth studio album, Petal, the cherry on top of a demanding schedule. Slated to be released in July, the record’s release will likely involve several promotional media appearances in addition to her tour.’People around her have told her to rest, to relax, to take care of her mental health,’ the insider said. ‘She doesn’t need to be working as hard as she is. But she feels that working is part of her self-care.”What she needs is peace. But what does it take to be at peace? Because she wouldn’t be happy to take her money and go live in obscurity,’ they added.’That wouldn’t give her peace. But the stadiums and the movie premieres and the constant talk about her weight isn’t peaceful too. She’s got to figure that out.’For now, Grande is trying to keep mentally afloat.’She’s doing a lot of therapy now, a lot of working on herself. She is practicing self-care, meditating, praying, taking stock of herself,’ the insider continued.’She’s eating, good meals, healthy meals. Writing music in her downtime, processing things, healing from it all. She’s really trying hard to be in a healthy place, and she’s got a support system who is helping her a lot.’The Daily Mail has reached out to Grande’s team for comment.