Ethan Slater Breaks Silence on Dating Ariana Grande. What Actually Happened?

Ethan Slater has finally spoken publicly about his relationship with Hollywood star Ariana Grande and Newsweek can share everything we know so far.

Slater, a Tony Award-nominated actor for his role in Broadway’s SpongeBob SquarePants musical, met the singer while they were on set filming the upcoming adaptation of Wicked. Slater plays a Munchkin named Boq who falls in love with Grande’s Glinda. Their relationship coincided with the end of their marriages, leading to speculation and criticism among fans.

Rumors swirled about Grande and her ex-husband, Dalton Gomez, and Slater’s ex-wife, Lilly Jay, spoke out against the relationship after Slater filed for divorce in July 2023, saying her family was “collateral damage.” The former couple began dating in 2012. They married in November 2018, and share one child, born in August 2022.

During an interview with GQ, published on October 30, Slater said it wasn’t easy to start such a public relationship. Here is everything you need to know about the couple’s relationship thus far.

Newsweek emailed representatives for Slater for comment on Thursday outside of normal business hours. A spokesperson for Grande declined to comment.

A Timeline of Their Relationship

• January 2023: According to reports, Grande and her husband quietly split. However, this information did not reach the public until July.
• March 27, 2023: Grande and Slater were seen together at Michelle Yeoh’s Oscars party.
• May 14, 2023: Slater shared a heartfelt Mother’s Day post on Instagram, paying tribute to his wife and their child. Grande even liked the post, suggesting a friendly connection at that time.
• July 16, 2023: Grande attended the Wimbledon men’s final in London, spotted without her wedding ring—a detail that caught public interest.
• July 17, 2023: News officially broke of Grande’s and Gomez’s separation, with TMZ and People reporting that they were on amicable terms and “working on their friendship.”
• July 20, 2023: It was revealed that Grande and Slater had recently started dating. News of their romance took the media by storm, sparking intense public curiosity and scrutiny.
• July 26, 2023: Slater officially filed for divorce from Jay. This marked a significant shift in public perception, especially as fans noted the close timing of his separation and new relationship.
• July 29, 2023: Reports suggested that Grande and Slater were giving each other “space” to work through their respective personal transitions, but they remained together.
• October 7, 2023: Grande and Gomez officially finalized their divorce. TMZ reported that they settled the terms amicably, underscoring that the split was mutually respectful.
• October 21, 2023: Grande and Slater were photographed together, enjoying a date at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in New York City, marking their relationship’s first public appearance since the official divorce news.
• December 28, 2023: Grande uploaded an end-of-year post on her Instagram story, reflecting on a challenging yet transformative year, implicitly addressing the tumult surrounding her personal life. “I’ve never felt more at the mercy of and in acceptance of what life was screaming to teach me. 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.
• March 8, 2024: Grande released her new album, Eternal Sunshine, chronicling her emotional journey through divorce and newfound love. Lyrics throughout the album seemed to hint at her relationship with Slater, capturing the complex emotions of moving on while facing public backlash.
• June 8, 2024: Grande and Slater made a rare appearance as a couple at the Stanley Cup playoff game. The duo attended the hockey game at the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida, rooting for the Florida Panthers. In photos shared online, they both were smiling ear-to-ear.
• September 30, 2024: Grande addressed the drama surrounding her relationship with Slater, without mentioning him by name, in an interview with Vanity Fair.
• October 30, 2024: Slater spoke publicly about his relationship with the singer in an interview with GQ.

Grande Addresses Controversy

Slater and Grande have faced harsh criticism online, with some accusing them of moving on too soon. In September, Grande faced some backlash from fans after addressing the drama surrounding her relationship with Slater in an interview with Vanity Fair.

“It definitely doesn’t get any easier, seeing some of the negativity that was birthed by disreputable tabloids. Of course, I went through a lot of life changes during the filming of this movie. A lot of people that were working on it did,” Grande said, referring to Wicked.

While she said she “will never go into certain details,” she told the publication: “The most disappointing part was to see so many people believe the worst version of it.”

The songstress also defended Slater, stating: “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.”

Slater Speaks Out

Breaking his silence in his interview with GQ, Slater acknowledged the challenges they’ve faced since going public.

“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,” he said.

“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.”

He added, referring to Wicked: “But, of course, it was an amazing year and a really beautiful thing, and I’m just really excited. I’m just really, really proud of Ari and the work she’s done on this. She’s poured herself into it.”