Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater’s relationship has drawn attention since the two first crossed paths while working on the film adaptation of Wicked. Grande was announced as Glinda in November 2021, while Slater joined the cast as Boq in December 2022. Their romance became public in mid-2023, around the same period that both stars were separating from their spouses. Grande and Dalton Gomez split in February 2023 and filed for divorce in September 2023. Slater and Lilly Jay also separated, and he filed for divorce on July 26, 2023.
Rumors about Grande and Slater began after reports surfaced that they were seeing each other in July 2023. The relationship quickly became a major celebrity storyline because of the overlap with their marriages ending. Slater’s ex-wife publicly criticized Grande in a statement to Page Six, saying the situation had affected her family. Despite the backlash, reports at the time said Grande and Slater continued dating while keeping things relatively private.
The couple made their first public appearance together in September 2023 when they were spotted at Disneyland with a large group that included Grande’s mother and brother. Sources described the outing as relaxed and happy. In the following weeks, reports said Slater had moved in with Grande in New York City, marking a more serious stage in the relationship. They were later seen on a dinner date in New York on October 21, and then appeared together again during a Halloween night out at the Broadway show Spamalot, reflecting their shared background in musical theater.
Grande and Slater’s relationship became more visible in November 2023 when they appeared in an Instagram photo shared by Andrew Rannells, who performed with Slater in Spamalot. A few weeks later, they were photographed dining with Grande’s father, Ed Butera, at an Italian restaurant in New York. According to reports, the group also attended one of Slater’s Broadway performances, suggesting the relationship had become part of both of their family and professional lives.
As of 2026, Grande and Slater are still together and appear to be going strong nearly three years after first going public. Although breakup rumors have followed them at times, they have kept their romance mostly out of the spotlight. Grande has remained focused on music and acting, including her Wicked role and new music era, while Slater has continued his theater work. The pair are said to support each other’s projects, but they rarely discuss their relationship publicly.
