Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater’s romance isn’t defying gravity, but it has turned heads from the start.
Us Weekly confirmed in July 2023 that Wicked costars Grande and Slater were in a “fairly new” relationship following their respective breakups.
News broke that same month that Grande and Dalton Gomez called it quits after two years of marriage. Slater, meanwhile, filed for divorce from wife Lilly Jay shortly after his romance with Grande made headlines.
After keeping their relationship under the radar in summer 2023, Grande and Slater began stepping out together that September. “They’re a little dorky and [both] theater geeks at heart. She loves that about him. It’s mutual,” an insider exclusively told Us of the couple in November 2023. “Their relationship is blossoming. It’s effortless with zero drama.”
Scroll down to relive Grande and Slater’s relationship from the beginning:
December 2022
Slater was cast as Boq in the two-part Wicked movie shortly before filming began in London in December. Grande, meanwhile, was announced as Glinda in November 2021.
July 2023
Us confirmed that Grande and Gomez parted ways earlier in the year. An insider told Us at the time that they split in January after having issues “that they couldn’t resolve” before Grande went to London to shoot Wicked. The source noted that the “distance did not help” their marriage.
“Ariana and Ethan are dating,” a separate source told Us in July, noting that Grande and Slater were both separated when they sparked a romance. “Ariana and Ethan have only recently begun seeing each other but they have a lot of fun together and are enjoying each other’s company.”
Slater, who was married to Jay for four years, filed for divorce on July 26. The estranged couple share one son.
September 2023
The twosome stepped out for a Disneyland date on September 22, days after Grande filed for divorce from Gomez. “They went [to Disneyland] with a big group of friends including her mom and brother and are really happy,” a source exclusively told Us of the outing. “All of her friends love him.”
October 2023
The pair took the next step in their romance by starting to live together in the Big Apple, an insider exclusively told Us on October 4. “Ethan informed his friends and soon-to-be ex-wife that he’s living with Ariana full-time in New York,” the source shared, noting Grande and Slater are “really happy and really good for each other.”
Two days later, Us confirmed that Grande and Gomez settled their divorce. In the wake of the divorce, Grande and Slater became even more public with their relationship. The Grammy winner was spotted supporting Slater on October 31 at the first night of previews for his Broadway musical Spamalot in New York City.
November 2023
The duo were all smiles backstage at Gutenberg! The Musical! on November 12. After Slater surprised the audience and played the producer for a performance, he and Grande hung out with the musical’s stars Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells.
In addition to spending time with their theater friends, Grande and the former SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical performer have gotten to know each other’s loved ones. “Ethan and Ariana’s relationship is going very well, and they’re both very involved in each other’s lives,” an insider exclusively told Us on November 14. “Ethan’s met her family. And she’s met his family.”
Following their introduction, the source said, “Ariana’s entire family has given [Ethan] the stamp of approval,” adding that Grande’s inner circle “adores him and thinks that he’s a perfect match for her.”
December 2023
Grande continued to support Slater during his run in Spamalot by bringing her father, Ed Butera, to a Christmas Eve performance. Ahead of the new year, she seemingly addressed backlash to her and Slater’s romance in a lengthy Instagram Story post.
“I have never felt more pride or joy or love while simultaneously feeling so deeply misunderstood by people who don’t know me, who piece whispers together and make what they want out of me and their assumptions of my life,” she wrote at the time. “I have learned how much more important one of those things is than the other.”
January 2024
“Things between Ariana and Ethan have grown more serious in the past few months, and they’re pretty much inseparable,” a source told Us, adding, “Ariana deeply cares for Ethan and absolutely sees a future with him. She’s looking forward to a fresh start in the new year and can’t wait to see how things continue to grow for them.”
Another insider told Us that same month that Slater informed his ex-wife of his and Grande’s romance days before news of their relationship broke. A third source revealed that Grande and Slater are “very much in love” and “weren’t careful” about hiding their feelings while filming Wicked, even holding hands between takes.
February 2024
“I feel like we don’t need to go into any specifics, but, of course, there’s like an insatiable frustration, inexplicable, hellish feeling with watching people, misunderstand the people you love and you and anything,” Grande said of her relationship on an episode of “The Zach Sang Show” on the Amazon Music channel on Twitch.
She also joked that releasing her album Eternal Sunshine in the midst of drama surrounding her love life was the “absolute worst idea,” adding, “I’m so nervous, because pieces of it touch on things that are real and then pieces of it are also just, like, part of the concept. So, what is that separation?”
March 2024
Grande released her seventh studio album, Eternal Sunshine, which featured many songs speculated to be about her split from Gomez and relationship with Slater. “Ariana thinks these songs will provide a lot of insight for her fans,” a source told Us at the time. “[It’s] her side of the story regarding Dalton and Ethan.”
The album’s lead single, “Yes, And?,” appeared to call out haters directly. “Don’t comment on my body, do not reply,” Grande sings in the track’s bridge. “Your business is yours and mine is mine / Why do you care so much whose — I ride?”
April 2024
Grande and Slater both attended CinemaCon 2024 in Las Vegas to promote Wicked, after which they were spotted packing on PDA while having dinner at Nobu Caesars Palace. Grande was seen leaning in to give her boyfriend a kiss, while Slater lovingly placed his hand on the back of her chair.
June 2024
Grande and Slater made a rare public appearance at the Stanley Cup Final in Sunrise, Florida. They wore matching Florida Panthers jerseys.
October 2024
GQ reported that Slater noticeably blushed when asked about falling in love with Grande on the set of Wicked.
“That’s a really sweet question,” Slater said. “That’s really nice of you to ask. That’s a really sweet question.”
He continued: “Obviously, it was a really super big year, and I think there was something that was really difficult about things in your private life being commented on and looked at by the public. There were a lot of big changes in private lives that were really happening, so it’s really hard to see people who don’t know anything about what’s happening commenting on it and speculating, and then getting things wrong about the people you love. So just to address that part of it, that feels really hard.”
However, it wasn’t all bad. “But, of course, it was an amazing year and a really beautiful thing, and I’m just really excited,” Slater concluded.
November 2024
Slater hyped up his girlfriend while promoting Wicked on The Jennifer Hudson Show. “She’s a comedy genius,” Slater gushed. “She’s so funny. I mean, she’s amazing in this film.”
He added, “I’m just really, really proud of Ari and the work she’s done on this. She’s poured herself into it. I’m really proud that I got to be there for that part of it, and I’m really excited to be there for this next step of it when the world gets to see the amazing thing that she did.”
Later that month, the pair made their unofficial red carpet debut at the Los Angeles premiere of Wicked. Though they didn’t stand for press line photos as a duo, Grande and Slater posed together in group shots. In a sweet candid moment, Grande was photographed lovingly adjusting her boyfriend’s tie as he smiled in return.
December 2024
Grande showed her support for Slater in a rare Instagram comment. After he posted photos from a shoot with Schön! Magazine, she wrote, “the Buster Keaton of today !” and “!!! ♡.”
January 2025
While Grande and Slater walked the red carpet separately at the National Board of Review Awards in NYC, they were seen together inside the venue.
December 2025
Slater was spotted toasting Grande backstage as she took on her third round of hosting duties for Saturday Night Life. Featured in two frames of an Instagram carousel posted by Grande’s friend Elizabeth Gillies, Slater hung out with the pair’s friends inside Grande’s dressing room before raising a cup of bubbles in Grande’s honor.
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