It has been a big month for Ariana Grande as she dropped her latest album, Eternal Sunshine, appeared on Saturday Night Live, and finalized her divorce from ex-husband Dalton Gomez. Through it all, she’s had one constant: her boyfriend, Ethan Slater, who Grande has been linked to since July, and who is a pillar of strength for her, Entertainment Tonight reports.
“Ariana is feeling great in general and super proud of her new album,” a source told the outlet. “Ethan has been by her side, supporting her both personally and professionally.” (Grande and Slater met on the set of Wicked, which comes out later this year, at last.)
“They’re looking towards the future and everything that’s in store for them as a couple and as individuals,” they said. “Things have been getting more serious.”
In addition to Grande finalizing her divorce from Gomez—who she married in May 2021—Slater is also divorcing his wife of five years, Lilly Jay, with whom he shares a young son. In their divorce agreement, Grande agreed to pay Gomez a one-time payment of $1.25 million and turn over half the proceeds of their shared home in Los Angeles; additionally, Grande will pay $25,000 of Gomez’s attorney’s fees. Entertainment Tonight reports that the Wicked co-stars began dating only after their respective splits, but the couple’s auspicious beginnings have led them to largely remain out of the public eye over the course of their months-long romance. Even so, Grande has shown Slater support just as he has to her, Grande by attending opening night of his Broadway show Spamalot in November.
In January, a source told Entertainment Tonight that the couple’s bond is easy and feels right: “Ariana and Ethan are spending more and more time together,” they said. “They have become more comfortable with the idea of their relationship being more public. Things are positive and they’re very close. They have a natural connection. There’s no pressure to be anyone that they’re not. They’re focused on the here and now and excited to continue to see where their relationship goes and watch it blossom.”