Singer Ariana Grande and actor Ethan Slater have ended their relationship after nearly three years of dating. The separation occurred several months ago, though the couple kept the news private until recently.
Grande, 32, and Slater, 32, began dating in 2023 after meeting on the set of the Wicked film adaptation, where Grande plays Glinda and Slater portrays Boq. Both were navigating the end of previous relationships when their romance began. Grande had been married to real estate agent Dalton Gomez, while Slater was separating from his high school sweetheart Lilly Jay, with whom he shares a young son.
From the start, their relationship attracted significant public attention. However, the couple maintained a largely private partnership, rarely appearing together publicly and seldom discussing their romance in interviews. Despite the scrutiny, sources indicated they remained committed to their relationship while managing demanding careers and personal responsibilities.
Grande has channeled energy into her music career and Wicked promotion. The film has become a major box office success, earning 765 million dollars worldwide and winning two Oscars. Slater, who received a Tony nomination for his performance in the Broadway musical SpongeBob SquarePants, has continued working in theater and film. The pressures of their respective professional commitments reportedly created strain in maintaining their relationship.
Neither Grande nor Slater has publicly addressed the split. Their representatives have declined to comment on details surrounding the separation or their current personal circumstances. Grande maintains an active social media presence but has not discussed the breakup with her followers.
The split comes approximately a year after the Wicked: For Good premiere, which was marked by a notable incident at the Singapore premiere. During a red carpet event, a barrier breach led to a security situation involving Grande and her co-star Cynthia Erivo. Erivo later discussed the incident in interviews, describing the moment as frightening for both performers.
Erivo reflected on public reactions to the incident, noting that she felt responses reflected broader issues regarding perception and assumptions. She explained that she had moved instinctively to assist Grande when a stranger breached security protocols. Erivo described feeling that her actions had been mischaracterized based on appearance and expressed concern about how the situation was interpreted on social media.
The Wicked sequel has performed differently than the first film at the box office, taking 541 million dollars worldwide, and did not receive Oscar nominations.