Nearly four years after meeting on the sets of Wicked in 2022 and sparking a romance the following summer, singer-actor Ariana Grande and Broadway star Ethan Slater have called it quits.
While the split has surprised fans, sources close to Ariana say she is “doing great” and is fully focused on her career.
Ariana Grande, Ethan Slater split
According to several international outlets, including People, TMZ and USA TODAY, Ariana and Ethan have broken up nearly three years after reports of their relationship first emerged.
“Ariana and Ethan broke up several months ago but they’ve remained friends since then and have nothing but respect and admiration for one another. This wasn’t a decision they took lightly but realized they were better off friends than in a committed relationship,” Page Six quoted a source as saying.
At the moment, as per the insider, Ariana is feeling “really happy and focused on the next chapter with her Eternal Sunshine tour and the upcoming release of her album Petal”.
As per People magazine, Ariana is “doing great” and “incredibly focused on preparing for her tour.” “She seemed very happy. It’s all been very positive vibes. Being able to reconnect with fans after so many years made her very excited. She’s been wanting to give her fans an amazing show and has put so much work into the show. Kicking off her tour was very emotional for her,” said another source.
The news comes on the heels of Ariana, 32, launching her Eternal Sunshine Tour, which kicked off June 6, six years after her Sweetener World Tour. Her new album is set for release on July 31.
More about the estranged couple
Ariana, 32, and Ethan, 34, met on the set of Wicked. Reports of Ariana and Ethan’s relationship first broke in July 2023. Both were married at the time: Ariana to her now ex-husband, Dalton Gomez, and Ethan to his high school sweetheart turned estranged wife, Lilly Jay. Ethan and Lilly share their 3-year-old son, Ezra, together.
In an interview with Vanity Fair in September 2024, Ariana defended the portrayal of Ethan in the media. It marked her first time speaking about her relationship over a year after it became public knowledge.
“There couldn’t be a less accurate depiction of a human being than the one that the tabloids spread about him. 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 bulls–t tabloid can rewrite in real life,” she had said.
Though Ariana and Ethan remained largely private about their romance over the past three years, Ethan did share some pictures of Ariana celebrating the holidays at home in December.