The world of celebrity love is fascinating and often fraught with drama that keeps their fame flames burning brightly. The blossoming relationship between songstress and screen icon Ariana Grande and her award-winning Wicked co-star Ethan Slater is no exception.
Their love story has captivated both fans and haters in equal measure. It seems like everyone has an opinion on whether Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater are right for each other. Celebrity gossip columns are running rounds on the rumor mill, with much of the internet chatter being hearsay and unsubstantiated claims.
What’s the real story behind this couple? Who are they, and what has sparked everyone’s curiosity about how and when their romance started? Join us as we dive into the complete timeline of their relationship, exploring the pivotal moments in their careers and personal anecdotes that truly bring their story to life.
We’ll also uncover the fascinating connections between their journey and Wicked’s soaring box-office success, revealing just how intertwined their paths are.
November 2021: Wicked Casting Announcements
Let’s cast our memory back to when pop princess Ariana Grande shared her elation on Instagram about being cast as Glinda in the movie version of the global hit musical Wicked.
Grande was a theater kid at her core. It had been a childhood dream to play the iconic “good witch,” pre-teen Ariana even met the original Glinda, played by Broadway superstar Kristin Chenoweth.
Chenoweth still remembers the moment little Grande impressed her by singing a bit of “Popular” during their backstage meeting.
Picture a 7 or 8-year-old Ariana bravely belting out her favorite musical tune to one of the most famous musical theatre icons. The wheels of fate were set in motion that day.
With the lead roles of Glinda and Elphaba (played by the multi-award-winning Cynthia Erivo) cast, it was time to look for their co-stars. Enter Broadway star Ethan Slater.
Slater, most known for his Tony-nominated Role in SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical, was cast as Boq, a pivotal role in Wicked.
With more cast members being announced, the hype surrounding the Wicked movie began to skyrocket. The musical had been a cultural phenomenon for almost 20 years, and the pressure to make the silver screen version better was on.
Early 2022: The Yellow Brick Road to Friendship
Rehearsals for Wicked began in early 2022, and Ariana and Ethan’s friendship, which first connected professionally during this momentous time, also started.
Was there an immediate connection, or perhaps even attraction? That’s something only the lovebirds know, as they were both in committed relationships with other people at the time.
And, although there may have been speculation as to the exact timings around their budding romance, it’s sure been kept well under wraps.
Ariana had been married to Dalton Gomez, a real estate agent, since May 2021, and although they kept their relationship mostly out of the spotlight, everything seemed rosy. Grande posted a cute picture of them on a romantic Valentine’s Day date in February 2022.
Ethan, too, was wed to his high-school sweetheart Lilly Jay. Their relationship and launch into parenthood looked idyllic. Slater shared an adorable post to his Instagram on Mother’s Day 2023, lavishing love on his wife and their baby son.
Late 2022: Chemistry On and Off Set
Movie stars often find romance or friendship after spending countless hours together on set. With principal photography for Wicked beginning in late 2022 in the UK, the two stars were understandably close.
Filming was a stop-start due to the ongoing strikes, but the cast shared cute updates on their social media, some featuring Ariana and Ethan looking adorable!
Jonathan Bailey (who plays heartthrob Fiyero in Wicked) posted this family shot in November 2022, with Grande and Slater sitting sweetly beside each other.
Ethan recently posted some behind-the-scenes snapshots on Instagram, including a charming one of him and Ariana in costume during the shoot.
Up to this point, everything seemed relatively amicable. Grande and Slater spent a lot of time together on set, and there are photos of them side by side. However, it could all just reflect a close-knit friendship among the cast.
Early 2023: Rumors of Romance Ignite
As early as January 2023, some intense speculation began about the status of Ariana and her husband’s relationship. Whispers of a potential separation swirled through the media, leaving fans wondering what might be causing the rift between them.
There have been various theories, ranging from her fame being hard for Gomez to deal with to the speculation of chemistry between her and Slater on the set of Wicked.
It didn’t help that Grande fans started to post wild theories on various subreddit groups about a possible link between Ethan and Ariana.
Adding fuel to that fire, a picture surfaced of the two sitting next to each other with other Wicked cast members while celebrating co-star Michelle Yeoh’s Oscar win.
The image, posted in March 2023, drove fans to speculate that Slater was in a relationship with Grande.
Mid-2023: Grande and Slater Love Unveiled
It wasn’t really until mid-2023 that things really started to get interesting. Fans knew Grande and Gomez were on the rocks, but no one knew if Ariana and Dalton’s marriage was over.
Slater had only posted a cute Mother’s Day pic on Instagram with a gushy love message to his wife in May of 2023 — which Ariana liked.
Then, due to the SAG strike, filming on Wicked was shut down in July 2023, giving the stars plenty of time to frolic around the UK.
A few days after filming halted, Ariana was spotted without her wedding ring on July 16 at Wimbledon with co-stars Jonathan Bailey and Andrew Garfield.
Shortly after Grande was photographed at the tennis match, news emerged that Ariana and Gomez had officially ended their relationship.
Despite some clues and a lot of speculation, there hadn’t been any official confirmation of a new relationship between Ariana and Ethan.
Three days later, media outlets and celebrity gossip columns broke the story of their romance.
Slater was already separated from his wife, but just one week later, on July 26, he filed for divorce from his high school sweetheart, Lilly Jay, after four years of marriage.
Late 2023: Love In The Spotlight
After news of the relationship emerged, Grande and Slater were the subject of internet sleuths detective tactics, trying to work out the timeline of when they began dating.
According to the UK tabloid The Daily Mail, when Ariana filed for divorce, she cited February 20, 2023, as the separation date. Which obviously led to even more internet gossip about when Ariana and Ethan really started dating each other.
Some fans were delighted. Some were horrified. But everyone was definitely shocked.
That included Ethan’s ex-wife, Lilly Jay, who broke her silence on July 27 by telling Page Six that she felt her family was “collateral damage.”
Slater and Jay were married in 2018 and had a son sometime in 2022, making the timeline even more sensitive.
Grande and Slater kept things pretty quiet for the next few months. They weren’t photographed together, which, given all the media gossip and divorce proceedings, was probably a good thing for Ariana and Ethan as they navigated their new relationship. It seemed like they were both trying to balance the fact that everyone wanted to know what was going on while being respectful to their exes.
It wasn’t until late October that photos of them having a date night at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel were sent to various press outlets., proving they really were together and going strong.
On October 31, Grande also attended the opening night of Spamalot, Slater’s latest Broadway show, proving herself to be a supportive girlfriend.
She even posted an homage to Spamalot on her Instagram in December with a cute Christmas tree decoration in the shape of a tin of spam. And with the brand Spam being an official partner of the Spamalot show, it’s certainly more than a coincidence.
Parallels with Wicked
Fans of Wicked have noted parallels with their characters in Wicked and their real-life romance.
In Wicked Part 1 (Part 2 comes out in November 2025), Glinda (Grande) and Boq (Slater) meet early on while studying at Shiz University. As they get to know each other better, it becomes abundantly clear that Boq is enamored with Glinda.
In the case of Wicked, Boq and Glinda don’t actually end up together at all. But the attraction is there at the beginning, albeit unrequited.
Movie enthusiasts have flocked to online forums to praise the chemistry between the two leads on screen. Their connection appeared to be genuinely palpable.
The film also contains many unexpected connections and journeys of self-discovery, reflected in the off-screen romance between these two lovebirds.
Present Day: 2024 and Beyond
These two theatre kids turned movie stars are still going strong as we head into 2025.
Grande and Slater live together in New York City, although they have separate residences. Ariana works full-time in New York, and Ethan tries to take the spotlight in his stride.
It seems like they are having a lot of fun together and are enjoying the press tours with Wicked. It’s been a busy year for both of them. Grande dropped her seventh studio album entitled Eternal Sunshine.
It chronicles her divorce from Dalston Gomez and highlights the beginning of her relationship with Ethan Slater. Fans have been in bits over the lyrics all year.
For example, in the big belt and operatic opening track, “Intro (End of the World),” Grande sings:
How can I tell if I’m in the right relationship?
Aren’t you really s’posed to know that s–t?
Feel it in your bones and own that s–t?
I don’t know
Then I had this interaction I’ve been thinkin’ ’bout for like five weeks. Wonder if he’s thinkin’ ’bout it too and smiling,
Wonder if he knows that that’s been what’s inspirin’ me,
Wonder if he’s judgin’ me like I am right now.
The lyrics seem like they allude to how she felt when she realized she was catching the feelings for Ethan.
Sadly, the day after the album was released, Grande took to Instagram stories to ask fans to stop sending hateful messages to people they thought the songs might be about.
She mentioned how these messages weren’t helpful at all; in fact, they were the complete opposite.
In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Grande delves much deeper into the difficulties of navigating a new relationship, fraught with possible scandals, under the glaring spotlight of the global media.
She called it a “tough ride,” firmly shutting down rumors about the relationship beginning while Slater was still with Jay. She told Vanity Fair:
“There couldn’t be a less accurate depiction of a human being than the one that the tabloids spread about him.”
She then went on to highlight his caring and loving nature, adding:
“No one on this earth tries harder or spreads themselves thinner to be there for the people that he loves and cares about. There is no one on this earth with a better heart, and that is something that no bullshit tabloid can rewrite in real life.”
Ariana and Ethan have only recently begun talking about each other publicly. She has his back, and it seems he’s got hers too. During their various press tours for Wicked, Ethan often praises the incredible talent of his girlfriend and how much he enjoyed working together.
In a recent interview on the Jennifer Hudson Show, he called Ariana “a comedy genius.” They both seem really proud that the world gets to see the fantastic things they made together.
As for his professional life, he’s been starring in Spamalot on Broadway, has a film, Lost on a Mountain in Maine, out now in theaters, has appeared on the front cover of GQ Hype, and is developing a new play.
In a recent interview with the Independent, Slater shared more details, saying it’s a beautiful play with humanity at its core and would star him as famous French mime artist Marcel Marceau.
Could It Be For Clout?
Ariana Grande was already a global icon long before she started dating Slater. With a staggering 376 million followers on Instagram compared to his mere 202, it’s clear why some people are speculating that this relationship could benefit his career more than hers.
You’d think if he was using her for leverage, he’d be more keen to be seen with her. However, Grande and Slater are low-key and rarely attend significant events together. Well, except for their huge movie premiers, of course.
You can’t help but notice how the happy couple are beaming at each other in this epic shot from the Australian premiere of Wicked that Ethan recently shared on his Instagram.
Ultimately, while speculation about career motives might swirl, the couple’s genuine connection overshadows such claims. Their low-key appearances and shared smiles, like at the Australian premiere of Wicked, suggest a relationship rooted in mutual affection rather than clout.
Ariana Grande And Ethan Slater’s “Wicked” Romance: Complete Relationship Timeline Bored Panda
