Ariana Grande was perhaps the most stabilizing person in trying to get Mac Miller healthy and sober, according to one of the rapper's closest friends.
Shane Powers, who was very, very tight with Mac, praised Ariana on his podcast "The Shane Show," saying, "She was incredible when he was first sobering up."
After Mac was found dead on Sept. 7 of an alleged overdose, some fans immediately blamed Ariana for Mac's downfall. She even turned off notifications on her Instagram in the wake of his death.
According to Shane, Ariana doesn't need to say or prove anything.
"There could not have been anybody more supportive of him being sober than Ariana. I saw that, I was around it. I took phone calls from her. 'How do I help? What do I do?' This little girl was unbelievably involved and helpful to him being healthy," Shane said. "Because whether he's an addict or not, the way that Mac partied was not healthy, but I gotta tell you, man, there was no one in his life more ready to go to the wall for him when it came to him being sober, and she was an unbelievably stabilizing force in his life."
On Sept. 8, Ariana, who dated Mac for two years, posted a photo of her former beau to her Instagram, but didn't attach a caption. She's now engaged to Pete Davidson.
"She was deeply helpful and effective in keeping Mac sober and helping him get sober," Shane said, "and she was all about him being healthy, period, in this area of his life."
Mac, who died at age of 26, famously struggled with substance abuse during his life. Just weeks after he and Ariana split earlier this year, he was arrested in May for driving under the influence and hit and run after allegedly crashing his car and fleeing the scene. TMZ claimed his blood alcohol content was nearly twice the legal limit. And that, the website pointed out, "was well after he fled his crash scene."
"Pls take care of yourself," she tweeted after his arrest.
Following his death, his family said in a statement, "Malcolm McCormick, known and adored by fans as Mac Miller, has tragically passed away at the age of 26. He was a bright light in this world for his family, friends and fans. Thank you for your prayers."