Why Ariana Grande and Dalton Gomez Split After 2 Years of Marriage: Source (Exclusive)

On Monday, a source told PEOPLE that the pop star and the luxury real estate agent separated earlier this year

Distance has gotten in the way for Ariana Grande and Dalton Gomez.

Following news of the couple's separation, a source tells PEOPLE that with the singer and actress, 30, filming the Wicked adaptation in the U.K. for much of the year, absence did not make the heart grow fonder.

"She was happy in Los Angeles for a couple of years. She wanted to make a life there with Dalton," the source tells PEOPLE exclusively on Monday.

"He is super focused on his career and needs to live in Los Angeles," the insider notes of Gomez's job as a luxury real estate agent. "It's definitely been an issue for them. Dalton's career is demanding and he can't leave Los Angeles often. So when [Grande] started filming Wicked in England, they were in for a long-distance marriage."

Though the relationship eventually "didn't work," the insider says "Ari has nothing but kind words to say about Dalton. During their marriage, he was her No. 1 fan."

Related: Ariana Grande Separates from Husband Dalton Gomez After 2 Years of Marriage: Source

On Monday, a different source shared with PEOPLE that the exes had separated earlier this year and "have been quietly and lovingly working on their friendship" since.

TMZ was first to report the news.

The Positions songstress, who is in London filming the screen adaptation of Wicked, was spotted without her engagement ring and wedding band while enjoying a day at Wimbledon over the weekend.

Grande shared a series of photos and videos from her experience on Instagram.

"the blonde high pony !!!! i’m obsessed," she captioned the post, which featured selfies alone and with Wicked costar Jonathan Bailey, outfit pictures, sunset moments, silly videos of Bailey running around the street and videos from the match.

Last August, Grande shared a makeup tutorial on TikTok where she wasn't also wearing her ring — but shut rumors down immediately.

"I'm just not wearing my wedding ring, it's getting cleaned. I'm not getting a divorce before you start, don't," she said at the time.

Grande and Gomez, 27, began dating in January 2020, and announced their engagement 11 months later. The exes were wed in an intimate ceremony at their home in Montecito, California, with less than 20 people present.

​​"They're a great fit together," a source told PEOPLE following their nuptials. "Dalton's entirely unfazed by the scope of her celebrity and is very grounding for her. He's young but mature and knows what he wants out of life."

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Read the original article on People.