A warning to Ariana Grande and Pete Davidson -- a 'whirlwind romance' won't last

Ariana Grande and Pete Davidson are reportedly engaged. (Reuters)

There’s a rule of thumb in Hollywood. If the romance can be described as “whirlwind” then it almost certainly won’t last. Blake Lively and Leonardo DiCaprio. Tom Hiddleston and Taylor Swift. Rob Kardashian and Blac Chyna. Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries. These are all relationships that have been described as “whirlwind” and they all have one big thing in common: they were very short.

A “whirlwind” is defined as “a column of air moving rapidly around and around in a cylindrical or funnel shape” such as a tornado, hurricane or cyclone. Used in a sentence, the dictionary comes up with “the building was hit by a whirlwind." A whirlwind is not a positive thing.

Yet people are forever falling into relationships that could be described as a “whirlwind romance” as if they are something to aspire to.

The latest, of course, is Ariana Grande and Pete Davidson. In early May, both Grande and Davidson were reportedly still in relationship with other people. After a month or so of dating, the couple has announced their engagement.

Relationships in Hollywood already aren’t known for their longevity and a courtship this short comes with its own problems even outside the celebrity world.

Writing in Psychology Today, Theresa E DiDonato Ph.D. noted that research has found it does matter how long you date before getting married. “Compared to dating less than one year before a marriage proposal, dating one to two years significantly dropped the future likelihood of divorce, about 20 percent lower at any given time point. Dating three or more years decreased the likelihood of divorce at an even greater rate, to about 50 percent lower at any given time point. This suggests that it can be helpful to have at least a few years together prior to entering a marriage.”

Every couple believes they can be the one to beat the odds. But why not give your marriage the best chance of success. Getting married after dating for so short a time does not do that.

An anonymous “insider” has been telling various media outlets that Grande and Davidson are planning to have a long engagement. If true, that would be a good idea. Whirlwinds eventually end, Grande and Davidson should spend that long engagement preparing for what will happen when it does.