The backstage hand-holding, the shadowy photos, the secret kisses shared on theme-park rides — despite the mounting evidence that Ariana Grande and Big Sean are, in fact, in a relationship, neither one of the artists has ever confirmed the rumors.

Until now.

The “Love Me Harder” singer has declared that “yes,” she and the 26-year-old rapper are dating in a new interview with The Telegraph Magazine. While the U.K. publication won’t release the full feature online until Tuesday (October 14), they have teased out some extremely satisfying quotes.

Splash News

“[Sean] is one of the most amazing men in the whole world,” Ariana tells the mag, “and that includes my grandfather and my brother.” Knowing how much she loves her bro, “Big Brother” contestant Frankie Grande, and how much she adored her late grandpa, that’s saying something.

“I think the world of him, and he’s an amazing person,” Grande says of the “Paradise” MC. “That’s kind of all there is to it.”

Shidoaht Shafey/MTV

Longtime musical collaborators, Ariana Grande and Big Sean were first rumored to be a couple in August of this year, after they were spotted holding hands on a backstage cam at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards. Coming on the heels of Sean’s breakup ...

You know how sometimes you’re just too scared to fall in love? Like there’s always a heartache waiting just around the corner? Love has a funny kind of way, and Tony Bennett sings with a little help from Lady Gaga on their “But Beautiful” duet, which got the video treatment on Monday (October 13).

Related: Which Celebrity Pet Are You? Gaga’s? Miley’s?

The Cheek To Cheek collaborators are tugging at all of the heart string with this clip, and Gaga’s emotions cannot be contained.

You can see her fighting back tears during this recorded studio session with Bennett, soulfully crooning the line: “And I’m thinking, if you were mine/ I’d never let you go/ And that would be but beautiful I know.”

Watch it, and weep.

Jessica Hyndman

Conspiracy theory time: What if Madonna and Miley Cyrus are actually the same person?

Check out the vintage, pre-fame photo from over 30 years ago that the “Turn Up The Radio” singer Instagrammed on Monday (October 13). What in the name of the space-time continuum? From the close-cropped hair to the tongue, I can’t really tell where Madonna ends and Miley begins.

She was just bein’ Miley…before Miley was even Miley.

Instagram (@madonna)

“Unconsciously transmitting ideas to the other MC way back when…………,,,..#quantum,” Madonna captioned the pic. And sure, she’s probably just joking around with that “Quantum Leap” reference.

But what if she’s not.

Think about it. The Madge we know and live for might actually be the “Adore You” singer, sent back to the past to save the world from an impending “Terminator”-style robot apocalypse. Or maybe just lesser pop stars.

The Illuminati probably figures into this somehow, too. Maybe even the Reptilians. Who knows how far this thing goes? We’re through the looking glass here, people.

This “Unplugged” performance suddenly got really intense.

John Walker

Bad at filling out bios seeks same.

Reporting by Josh Horowitz

Back in the dark times when “Star Wars” fans didn’t know who would direct “Episode VII,” “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol” director Brad Bird was considered a major contender and even met with Lucasfilm about the project.

But ultimately, he chose to stick with “Tomorrowland” — then called “1952″ — which had attracted George Clooney to the project just after Bird’s name entered into the “Episode VII” discussions.

At New York Comic-Con, attendees got the first glimpse at the movie Bird choose over “Star Wars,” and MTV spoke with the filmmaker about the choice he had to make.

“We were already deeply into ['Tomorrowland']. George had committed to it, and we were down the road a bit,” he said about the timing of his choice. “For a moment there, I thought that it would work out to do this and go right into ['Episode VII']. It was supposed to be summer of this coming year. There was no way to make that schedule and give this film the attention that it deserved, so I had to step away.”

The missed opportunity is just another story of bad timing, but Bird has some perspective on the whole ordeal.

“I know ['Episode VII'] is going to be terrific and everything, but I’m really happy to do this film,” he said. “It’s rare to do a film of size that’s original, so those opportunities can’t be missed either.”

“Tomorrowland” opens in theaters on May 22.

Oct 13, 2014 | No Comments on Why Brad Bird Chose Directing ‘Tomorrowland’ Over ‘Star Wars: Episode VII’

“Star Wars Rebel: Spark of Rebellion” introduced us to the latest TV adventures of the galaxy far, far away, but the show really begins tonight (10/13) with the episode “Droids in Distress.”

I was able to preview the episode early, and I’m able to tell you that everything that was great about “Spark of Rebellion” is true for the first normal episode. On top of that, there are plenty of great new surprises in store for “Star Wars” fans.

Here’s a spoiler-free preview.

A Big, Obvious Cameo
It was a good thing that characters from either trilogy didn’t show up in “Spark of Rebellion” because it allowed Ezra, Kanan and the rest of the crew to establish themselves. Now that all that is out of the way and we know everybody, some more familiar faces can drop by. That really starts in earnest with this first episode, “Droids in Distress.” C-3PO and R2-D2 play a significant supporting role, but this is still very much the crew’s story. So far, “Rebels” has smartly planted this story in the “Star Wars” universe without beating us over the head with it.

And A Smaller, Geekier, More Awesome Cameo
Apart from R2 and 3PO, there’s another cameo that is so wonderfully geeky that I wouldn’t dare spoil it here. Keep an eye out early on in the episode for a character famous for something outside of the “Star Wars” movies.

The Con
The story for this episode shows off the versatility of the universe and how wisely “Star ...

Seriously, Bethany Mota, I can’t handle all this excitement from you in one day!

First, you made all the Motavators’ Mondays a little brighter with the release of your super-catchy first single, “Need You Right Now,” with fellow YouTube star, Mike Tompkins.

Then, just as I finished learning all the words to the song, you give us its accompanying lyric video, which is not only really cute and adorable, but it was co-directed by Kevin Jonas.

Yes, that Kevin Jonas, formerly of the Jonas Brothers. I think I may just go ahead and faint now.

The fashion designer-turned “Dancing With the Stars” contestant teamed up with Kevin and Brian Gonsar for the clip, which features Bethany, for a split second, as she waves to the camera and sets off a chain reaction of falling dominoes from inside her computer screen.

Related: Vote For Bethany And More Of Your Faves In Our Homecoming Bracket

The dominoes continue to fall in a variety of set-ups, spelling out the words to the song in a fun, creative way, which is now getting us super-pumped for the official music video itself.

Christina Garibaldi

Christina Garibaldi has been an on-camera reporter for MTV News since 2011. When not interviewing or writing about her favorite stars, she keeps herself busy with baby animal videos and boy bands.

@ChristinaMTV

Comic-Cons worldwide have always been known for their eye-poppingly gorgeous cosplay, but we’ve gotta hand it to the Big Apple — from “Guardians of the Galaxy” to “Street Fighter” and back again, 2014′s NYCC proved once and for all that NYC is American’s fashion capital for a reason. Need proof? These 15 incredible GIFs should do the trick:

1. Gilly Kins As Captain Cold, One Of The Flash’s Rogues

2. Nadya Sonika As Chun-Li From “Street Fighter”

3. … Watch Her Kick!

4. Vera Baby As Casey Jones From “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”

5.Jessica Shanholtz As Princess Jasmine From “Aladdin”

6. Shawn Webber As Nightwing

7.Tom Rehn As A Jedi Knight From The “Star Wars” Universe

8. … Oh No, He Totally Got You!

9. Chris Perez, Herbert Perez, Dana Delaurentis, Harry Hon and Jonathan Montalvo As The Furies From “The Warriors”

10. John Koch As Star-Lord From “Guardians Of The Galaxy”

11. …He’s Really Got The Moves.

12. And He Wants YOU To Join Him.

13. Come On, You Know You Want To.

14. Finally, Here’s A Special Appearance From Hundreds Of Thousands Of Con-Goers

15. And “R2-D2″ As Himself.

Shaunna Murphy

A real go-getter.

@ShaunnaLMurphy

That old saying, “It’s a dog’s life,” takes on a whole new meaning when that dog belongs to Lady Gaga. Yup, the pets of pop stars lead charmed lives — lives that leave the rest of us poor mutts drooling with jealousy.

Take our quiz below to find out with celeb pet is your spirit animal — and try not to be too disappointed that these pampered house pets have it better than you. Hey, at least you have the gift of speech! That ain’t nothing!

Brenna Ehrlich

Brenna Ehrlich is a reporter for MTV News as well as the senior writer/editor for the O Music Awards. In the past, she served as associate editor at Mashable, penned a netiquette column for CNN and co-authored the blog and book "Stuff Hipsters Hate." She likes trying not to die in moshpits and listening to songs on repeat. Follow her on Twitter @BrennaEhrlich for news on cats and punk bands.

Last week on the season two premiere of “The Originals,” Klaus (Joseph Morgan), Hayley (Phoebe Tonkin), Elijah (Daniel Gillies) and co. murdered the vicious Guerrera Werewolf family, quickly and effectively wiping out a threat that dominated the last few weeks of season one. However, when MTV News caught up with Tonkin last week, she made it clear that the werewolf arc on the show has only just begun. In fact, tonight’s episode, “Alive and Kicking,” will find Hayley trying to reconnect with her bayou-dwelling clan, who will play a much larger role in season two.

“We start to look at exactly where all of these werewolves started, all of the packs, how they all came to be close,” Tonkin said in a phone conversation. “We start to learn about the arranged marriage between Jackson and Hayley that was talked about very briefly in the first season. We definitely get to see a bit more of the werewolf side in season two, it’s not just the vampires and the witches.”

Of course, this union might now be in jeopardy — and not only because Hayley’s heart seems to lie with a certain brown-haired Original vampire. According to Tonkin, her new-found vampirism won’t go over too well with her former wolf pack.

The CW

“Technically now she’s an enemy [to the werewolves],” Tonkin continued. “She tries to remain as close to the werewolf in her [as she can] because she wants them on her side, she wants them to stay loyal ...

Even though a wedding is supposed to be all about the bride and groom, it’s pretty clear Lauren Conrad wanted her bridesmaids to also get in on the fun when she tied the knot with William Tell. Not only did she make sure no one was left behind in her huge bridal party (her motto: “the more the merrier”), but she also let her 10 bridesmaids decide which dress they wanted to wear on the big day.

Related: Lauren Conrad Blesses World With 12-Piece Bridesmaids Collection

Us Weekly

Just when we thought she couldn’t get any more thoughtful, she #blessed her ’maids with a super adorable gift package, which included rose gold jewelry, personalized handkerchiefs, cat sleeping masks, and floral robes—with rompers to match! She shared her gift-giving process on her website, and said, “My bridesmaids were such an important part of the entire process of getting married. From my bachelorette party to my bridal shower (and everything in between), these girls planned and partied with me for months. So, to show them how much I love them and how lucky I felt to have them by my side on my big day, I put together a package of gifts for each of them.” Check ’em out below!

Related: Lauren Conrad’s Motto For Her Bridesmaid Selection: ‘The More The Merrier’

PAINTED PETAL ROBE ($65)

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