Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater seemed to put breakup rumours to rest with a warm, united appearance at the New York premiere of Wicked: For Good, ahead of the film’s November 21 release.
The pair, who began dating in July 2023 after connecting on the set of the two-part Wicked adaptation — where Slater plays Boq — were seen chatting closely and smiling on the red carpet.
Their outing comes a year after Slater finalised his divorce from his childhood sweetheart, Lily Jay. Grande, 32, and Slater, 33, who shares a three-year-old son with Jay, had not been photographed together for months, fueling speculation that their relationship was in trouble.
In October, a source claimed the couple had been “on and off for most of this year,” but their demeanor in New York suggested otherwise. Throughout the Wicked: For Good press tour, the two kept their romance private, though they continued to support each other by liking posts on Instagram.
When their relationship first became public, Grande had recently split from her husband Dalton Gomez, and Slater was still married, sparking backlash. Jay later wrote in The Cut that she felt “blindsided” and struggled to “accept the sudden public downfall of my marriage.”
Despite the controversy, the couple appeared together at major events while promoting Wicked, including the Golden Globes, BAFTAs, Oscars, and the Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards.
Slater spoke admiringly of Grande in an October interview with GQ, saying, “Ari’s Ari, and she’s amazing,” calling her a gifted comedian with a voice “that can do anything,” adding, “She’s a genius.”
Their last public appearance before the NYC premiere had been in April at a Little Shop of Horrors preview. In September, Slater subtly signaled they were still together by congratulating Grande on Instagram after her 2025 VMAs wins.
Though a source claimed they had “once discussed marriage but that is no longer on the table,” their recent appearance suggests the relationship remains steady.
