While filming one of this decade’s biggest films, Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater created a lot of unexpected headlines from the set of Wicked. When they started production, they were both married to other people. By the end of the shoot, they had become a couple.
In the almost two years since they finished filming, Grande and Slater have done their best to keep their romance out of the spotlight. Sure, there were cute moments during the 2025 awards show season, but ever since Wicked: For Good mounted its latest press tour, the dynamic duo have been MIA. It didn’t help that Slater was rather awkward during an interview on the Today show on Nov. 21.
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Co-host Craig Melvin asked Slater, “What was it like working with your girlfriend every day?”
The 33-year-old Broadway actor stumbled through his response, saying with a giggle, “Well, well, the entire cast was incredible. Ariana’s brilliant, and Cynthia’s remarkable. So getting to watch those two women perform at such a high level…”
It wasn’t exactly a clear answer, which leads Wicked fans to ask if Grande and Slater’s relationship is on ice. So, let’s take a closer look at the evidence.
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Ethan Slater, Ariana Grande
Michael Buckner/Variety
Are Ariana Grande & Ethan Slater Still Together?
The rumors first began in mid October when the Daily Mail noted that Grande and Slater’s relationship had cooled since their hot-and-heavy alleged affair began. A source shared that they “have been on and off for most of this year” and that they were “keeping it together for now — at least until after Wicked: For Good opens.” The buzz hasn’t stopped since that initial report.
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Since the 32-year-old pop star and Slater aren’t usually photographed together on the red carpet, TMZ spoke with sources who are close to the couple. The Nov. 11 article claimed that Grande and her boyfriend were “holding hands and being affectionate backstage” at the London premiere. They alleged that “everything’s great” between the two of them, and Grande shared a Polaroid snapshot with her and Slater on Instagram — but it was buried deep in the carousel.
Still, People kept in line with the narrative that the duo is busy, but making it work anyway.
“They both have a lot going on, but their relationship is the real deal,” an insider told the outlet on Nov. 12. “They’re incredibly supportive of each other’s careers and so excited for everyone to see their new film.”
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But it feels like Slater is telling a different story through his interviews; there seems to be some distance when he talks about her.
“Ariana [Grande]’s performance is out of this world, and Cynthia [Erivo]’s performance is unbelievable,” he raved of the cast to Extra at the Nov. 17 New York City premiere. “And Johnny [Bailey] is so beautiful, and Michelle [Yeoh] and Jeff [Goldblum] and I got to work with Marissa [Bode], you know, from this close away for this whole movie, and yet getting to see her on the big screen, it’s just so moving.”
The most notable sign that the couple might be over comes from Rob Shuter’s Nov. 23 Substack post, where he alleged that Grande and Slater have broken up.
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“The studio doesn’t want anything — and I mean anything — stealing the spotlight,” a source shared with Shuter on why they are silent about the breakup rumors.
Grande and Slater met in December 2022 at the start of the Wicked and Wicked: For Good production. By July 2023, TMZ was reporting that they were in a relationship together. At the time, Grande was married to Dalton Gomez, and Slater was married to his high school sweetheart, Dr. Lilly Jay. They share one son together.
Both Grande and Slater have denied the affair allegations, claiming they were separated from their spouses before a relationship began.
Before you go, click here to see celebrity couples who started their relationships as affairs.
