Ariana Grande, Ethan Slater Break Up After More Than 2 Years of Dating
Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater have parted ways for good.
Almost four years after the pair met on the set of Wicked in 2022 and began dating the summer after, the singer and Broadway star have broken up, E! News has learned.
A source told E! on June 8, “They have quietly been broken up after nearly three years together.”
News of the couple’s split comes after speculation that their relationship had hit rocky territory, having made fewer public appearances as a couple in recent months.
But for a while, their relationship was flying high.
And though the pair often avoided the spotlight during their yearslong romance, Grande shared the occasional glimpse of their bond on social media—even subtly dispelling breakup rumors in November by posing together at Wicked: For Good’s London premiere.
Plus, Slater always seized any chance to praise the “Into You” singer’s work, in the film series and beyond.
“Ariana’s performance is out of this world,” he told Extra at the film’s New York premiere in November, adding that Cynthia Erivo’s was likewise “unbelievable.”
And when his then-girlfriend was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for the 2026 Academy Awards, he celebrated the news on Instagram, later telling E! News of the nomination, “It’s a really emotional thing and it’s beautiful.”
Presley Ann Photo/Shutterstock for SAG
The former couple’s relationship was made public amid speculation that the beginning of their romance overlapped with his marriage to his ex-wife Lily Jay. (The pair, who share on child, finalized their divorce in 2024.)
Grande and Slater, however, long maintained that their time together didn’t overlap with their previous relationships—including Ariana’s marriage to Dalton Gomez, the pair also finalizing their divorce that same year.
“It definitely doesn’t get any easier, seeing some of the negativity that was birthed by disreputable tabloids,” Grande told Vanity Fair in September 2024. “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.”
John Shearer/97th Oscars/The Academy via Getty Images
In the interview, which marked her first time speaking about her relationship over a year after it became public knowledge, the Eternal Sunshine artist also defended the portrayal of Slater in the media.
“There couldn’t be a less accurate depiction of a human being than the one that the tabloids spread about him,” she added. “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.”
As for Slater, he shared how difficult it was for his personal life to become.
“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 told GQ in Oct. 2024. “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.”
As for falling in love with Grande on the set of the musical film, he added, “It was an amazing year and a really beautiful thing.”
For a look back on Slater and Grande’s relationship, read on.
Just A Little Bit Of Her Heart: September 2023
After a source close to the couple—who met on the set of Wicked—told E! News they had “recently” begun dating in July 2023, Grande subtly supported Slater by “liking” a photo announcing his role in Spamalot on Broadway in early September 2023.
Later that same month, the two were seen out together for the first time at, naturally, Grande’s favorite place on Earth, Disney World. In photos shared by TMZ, the duo walked around the Florida theme park arm-in-arm.
A source close to Grande and Slater told E! News after the excursion, “they went with a big group of friends including her mom and brother and are really happy and really good for each other.”
KHAP / BACKGRID
It’s Supernatural: October 2023
The costars engaged in some subtle PDA at dinner in New York City in photos obtained by TMZ. A few weeks later, Grande stepped out to support Slater during previews of Spamalot on Broadway where he played The Historian/Prince Herbert.
Grande was gleaming as she made her way out of St. James Theater alongside friends, sporting a paper crown from the show and clutching a Playbill.
Ariana Grande/Instagram
She Loves to Seem Him From Her POV: November 2023
Grande later attended the opening night of Spamalot and shared an Instagram post highlighting her evening. In the photos, Grande sported an elegant black dress and accessorized with sheer black gloves and a Spamalot cup. The last slide of her carousel included a nod to the cast—which included Slater—with a message reading, “Happy Opening of Broadway Show.”
Elsa/Getty Images
Doing Winter Things: December 2023-January 2024
In a rare life update on Instagram in Dec. 2023, Grande showed off some of her holiday celebrating a photo of a wall Christmas tree with a Spam can ornament. Fans quickly pointed out the connection to Slater, as Spamalot was running on Broadway at the time.
On Dec. 23, 2023, the couple stepped out with Grande’s father Ed Butera for dinner in New York City.
That same month, Grande teased new music and would go on to announce Eternal Sunshine in early 2024. Although no songs are explicitly about Slater on the album, fans pointed out that the album’s initials, E.S., coincidentally—or not—match the initials of Ariana’s boyfriend.
Frankie Grande / Instagram
Love Isn’t Completely Off The Table: Summer 2024
In March 2024, Ariana and ex Dalton Gomez finalized their divorce. That summer, Grande’s brother Frankie Grande gave her new romance his stamp of approval.
“I love him,” Frankie said of Slater in a June 2024 interview with TooFab. “He’s a very sweet guy.”
A few days after Frankie’s interview went live, Grande and Slater attended the 2024 Stanley Cup final in Florida together—marking their most public joint outing since their romance debut.
Don Arnold/WireImage
This Is the True Story: September 2024
In an interview with Vanity Fair published in Sept. 2024, Grande addressed her romance with Slater publicly for the first time—pushing back on the speculation of the couple’s romantic timeline overlapping with their previous relationships.
“It definitely doesn’t get any easier, seeing some of the negativity that was birthed by disreputable tabloids,” she told the outlet. “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 went on to defend Slater against any negativity thrown at him.
“There couldn’t be a less accurate depiction of a human being than the one that the tabloids spread about him,” Grande added. “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 bullshit tabloid can rewrite in real life.”
That same month, Slater finalized his divorce with ex Lilly Jay—with whom he shares a young son.
Saverio Marfia/Getty Images
Imperfect For Each Other: November 2024
A month after he showed support for Grande’s October 2024 Saturday Night Live hosting gig, Slater addressed their relationship—and the scrutiny surrounding it—for the first time.
“It was an amazing year and a really beautiful thing,” Slater reflected on falling in love with Grande while filming Wicked in a Oct. 2024 GQ interview. “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.”
Still, Slater admitted he found it difficult to wait for people to like him again as they clung to their papers and pens.
“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 added. “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.”
But he was able to block out the noise somewhat. As he added of Grande’s song “Imperfect For You,” which is rumored to be about him, “I love that song.”
Media-Mode / SplashNews.com
Magical Moments: November 2024
One short day in the Emerald City, or rather in the Australian city of Sydney, Grande and Slater attended a press event for Wicked and wrapped their arms around each other.
John Shearer/97th Oscars/The Academy via Getty Images
Golden Date Night: March 2025
First-time nominee Grande’s magical night at the 2025 Oscars continued with a hug from her date.
Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic
Making Rumors Disappear: November 2025
Amid speculation that they had broken up, not least due to the lesser hysteria leading up to the release of Wicked: For Good than there was for the first film, Grande shut down breakup rumors by making sure to include a photo of herself with Slater in her Instagram carousel from the sequel’s Nov. 10 London premiere.
Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for National Board of Review
Break Up: June 2026
On June 8, a source told E! News the pair had “broken up after nearly three years together.”
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