Ariana Grande’s partner Slater reignites breakup rumors

Ethan Slater, Ariana Grande’s boyfriend, has sparked fresh breakup rumours after he dodged a question about their relationship during a TV interview.

Slater and Grande, who star together in the new Wicked movie, began dating during the filming of the two-part musical adaptation. Their relationship caused controversy at the time because Slater was still married to his former wife, Lilly Jay, with whom he shares a three-year-old son.

The couple, who are 33 and 32, had not been seen together publicly from April until this month, fuelling widespread speculation that they had split. On Monday, they appeared side by side in group photos at the New York premiere of Wicked: For Good, briefly calming the rumours.

However, Slater reignited the talk during an appearance on the Today show when he was asked about “working with your girlfriend every day.” Instead of addressing Ariana directly, he avoided the question and spoke generally about how “incredible” the entire cast was. He praised Grande as “brilliant,” but also highlighted her co-star Cynthia Erivo as “remarkable,” saying watching both women perform up close was “pretty special.”

A source told The Sun that the pair are “still together” despite their distant behaviour at last week’s London premiere, where they reportedly avoided being photographed side by side. According to the insider, they reunited privately after the event.

“Ariana and Ethan are still a couple, but they’ve seen the online talk and it hasn’t been easy,” the source said. “They were both at the premiere and the after-party but made sure they weren’t seen together.”

The source added that both stars prefer to keep their relationship out of the public eye. After the London after-party, Grande returned to her hotel, and Slater later went up to meet her.

Their relationship has faced ongoing scrutiny. Last month, reports claimed that their wedding plans were on hold and that the couple had been “on and off” for months.

Grande had just ended her marriage to Dalton Gomez when news of her romance with Slater broke in July 2023. Slater was still married to Lilly Jay at the time, though he later filed for divorce.