Ariana Grande's boyfriend Ethan Slater breaks silence on relationship amid split fears

They’ve been dating for the past two years but recently, Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater have found themselves at the centre of split rumours. He was noticeably absent from her entourage last week (September 7) at the MTV VMAs, where she was nominated for seven awards and took home three.

The singer has been embroiled in a controversy after third party retailers have been reselling tickets for her sold-out Eternal Sunshine tour next year with inflated prices, leaving her fans frustrated at the less-than consumer-friendly options to watch her live.

Now Ethan, 33, has shared his thoughts on the drama and seemingly revealed his equation with Ariana, 32, amid the split rumours.

At the premiere of Gen V season two in West Hollywood, he told People : “Ari's fans are unbelievable and incredible and ferocious in their support of her, and it's a beautiful thing.

“And I really hope that there are other opportunities to see her perform. It's really intense, and I've been sort of following along, but it's kind of an amazing thing that so many people want to see her shows, you know? Like what a beautiful thing.”

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The couple first met two years ago while filming for Wicked, in which Ariana plays Galinda Upland, eventually becoming Glinda the Good Witch, while Ethan portrays Boq Woodsman, a Munchkin in love with Galinda.

The movie released in November 2024 and went on to become a huge critical and commercial success. The pair attempted to keep their relationship under wraps but as the film geared up for release, it made it harder for them to keep it private as they posed together at red carpet premieres.

The lovebirds will be reuniting on screen for the second part, Wicked: For Good, which releases in cinemas this November. Ariana and Ethan’s relationship didn’t get off to the smoothest start as plenty was said about the timing, as she had just split from ex-husband Dalton Gomez, while he had separated from ex-wife Lilly Jay.

The Break Free singer had tied the knot with real estate agent Dalton in May 2021, but in July 2023, a source confirmed that they had separated earlier in the year, and the couple filed for divorce in September, citing "irreconcilable differences".

Ethan, meanwhile, married his childhood sweetheart, clinical psychologist Lilly, in 2018 and they welcomed a child together, a baby boy, in 2022. He filed for divorce from Lilly in July, 2023, just one month shy of their son's first birthday, after news of his romance with Ariana broke.

Neither Ariana nor Ethan have confirmed their relationship timeline but sources at the time said romance only blossomed after both separated from their spouses. "Ariana and Dalton separated in January," one source told People. "She and Ethan recently began dating, and he is separated from his wife."

However, Ethan's estranged wife Lilly spoke to Page Six shortly after her husband filed for divorce and claimed: "[Ariana's] the story really. Not a girl's girl." She added: "My family is just collateral damage. The story is her and Dalton."

In the months that followed, Ariana and Ethan stepped out for a number of low-key dates - and fans went into overdrive in January 2024 with speculation that Ariana's new song Yes, And? was in response to negative comments about their relationship. "Your business is yours and mine is mine. Why do you care so much whose d**k I ride?", she sang.

Another song, Imperfect for You, is also thought to be about Ethan. "She's such an amazing performer, and I think everyone knows how good she is [as] a recording artist and all that — but I'm just really blown away by the songwriting," he said months later about the single. "I love that song."

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