Ethan Slater Makes First Public Outing After Ariana Grande Breakup

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Ethan Slater knows there are brighter days ahead.

Ethan Slater was seen in public for the first time since announcing his separation from Ariana Grande. He attended the opening night of Shakespeare in the Park’s Romeo & Juliet at the Delacorte Theater in New York City on June 11th, arriving without a companion.

Slater seemed genuinely happy, smiling broadly as he stood on the carpet. He dressed down for the occasion in a relaxed outfit of a white t-shirt, black jeans, and white sneakers.

As a lifestyle expert, I’ve been following this story closely. It seems that the stars of Wicked have actually been separated for a few months now, though the news is just coming out. They initially connected and started dating during the summer of 2023 while working together on the Wicked movie set – it’s always sad to hear when a relationship doesn’t work out, especially one that blossomed in such a creative environment.

In addition to supporting theaters in New York City, 32-year-old Slater has also been performing on The Eternal Sunshine Tour, which began in Oakland, California, on June 6th.

She’s been reflecting on her past loves and different phases of her life during her concerts. Interestingly, just before news broke about her recent split, she subtly altered the words to her popular song “thank u, next” while singing it.

While performing the song, which details her past relationships up to 2019, she left out the line “Only wanna do it once real bad, gonna make that st last.” This is believed to be a reference to her 2023 divorce from Dalton Gomez.

Instead, Grande gave a knowing look as she held up two fingers toward the audience and laughed.

Even though she hasn’t publicly talked about her relationship with Slater – who recently finalized his divorce from Lilly Jay in 2024 – the singer has previously shared how challenging their relationship was.

Ariana Grande shared with Vanity Fair in 2024 that dealing with false and negative stories from tabloids is still difficult. She also mentioned she experienced significant personal changes while making the movie, as did many others involved in the production.

Now that you know what’s been happening with them since their breakup, let’s take a look back at some of the most important moments from their relationship.

As a huge fan, I was so excited to hear the news that Ariana and Ethan started dating! It all began back in July 2023, according to someone close to them – they actually met while filming Wicked! I loved seeing Ariana show her support for Ethan too, she quietly ‘liked’ a post celebrating his role in Spamalot on Broadway back in September. It’s just so sweet to see them supporting each other’s careers!

Later that month, they were spotted together publicly for the first time at Walt Disney World – a place Ariana Grande loves. Photos published by TMZ showed them walking through the Florida theme park holding hands.

I’m hearing from sources that Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater recently spent some quality time with friends, family – including her mom and brother – and they’re truly enjoying each other’s company. It sounds like a really positive and supportive connection for both of them!

Photos published by TMZ show the two actors displaying some affection during a dinner date in New York City. Shortly after, Ariana Grande attended a preview performance of Spamalot on Broadway to support her costar, who played both The Historian and Prince Herbert.

Ariana Grande looked happy leaving the St. James Theater with friends, wearing a paper crown she got at the show and carrying a Playbill.

Okay, so Ariana went to Spamalot on opening night and I basically died when I saw her Instagram! She looked incredible in this super chic black dress with these amazing sheer gloves. And get this – she had a Spamalot cup as an accessory?! A CUP! But the best part? The last pic was clearly about the cast, especially Darren Criss, Slater and everyone else. It just said ‘Happy Opening of Broadway Show’ but I KNEW it was for them, especially Slater! I’m losing my mind!

Ariana Grande shared a peek into her holiday season on Instagram in December 2023, posting a picture of her Christmas tree decorated with a playful Spam can ornament. Fans immediately noticed this and connected it to Ethan Slater, as he was performing in the Broadway musical Spamalot 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, Ariana Grande hinted at new music, and later announced her album, Eternal Sunshine, in early 2024. While the album doesn’t directly mention her boyfriend, fans noticed the album’s initials, E.S., match his initials, sparking speculation about a connection.

Ariana Grande and her ex-husband, Dalton Gomez, officially divorced in March 2024. Later that summer, her brother, Frankie Grande, publicly supported her new relationship.

“I love him,” Frankie said of Slater in a June 2024 interview with TooFab. “He’s a very sweet guy.”

Shortly after Frankie’s interview was published, Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater were seen together at the 2024 Stanley Cup Final in Florida. This was their most visible public appearance as a couple since they began dating.

Ariana Grande publicly discussed her relationship with Ethan Slater for the first time in a September 2024 interview with Vanity Fair. She clarified that their romance didn’t begin until after both were separated from their previous partners, addressing rumors to the contrary.

She admitted it’s still difficult to deal with the negative stories published by unreliable tabloids. She also shared that she and many of the people working on the film were going through personal changes during production.

Grande went on to defend Slater against any negativity thrown at him. 

Grande strongly defended him against inaccurate portrayals in the tabloids, stating that they couldn’t be further from the truth. She emphasized his incredible dedication to loved ones and his genuinely kind heart, qualities she believes no negative press could ever diminish.

That same month, Slater finalized his divorce with ex Lilly Jay—with whom he shares a young son. 

Just a month after publicly backing Ariana Grande’s upcoming hosting spot on Saturday Night Live in October 2024, Ethan Slater finally spoke about their relationship and the attention it has received.

In an October 2024 interview with GQ, Slater described falling in love with Grande while filming Wicked as “an amazing year and a really beautiful thing.” He expressed excitement about their relationship and shared how proud he is of Grande and her dedication to the film, saying she’s “poured herself into it.”

Even so, Slater confessed it was hard for him to regain people’s approval while they held onto their old ways of writing and reading.

He explained that it was incredibly challenging to have personal issues publicly scrutinized. With so much happening privately, it felt unfair to have people offer opinions without understanding the full situation.

He managed to tune out most of the distractions. When asked about Ariana Grande’s song “Imperfect For You,” widely believed to be inspired by him, he simply said, “I love that song.”

During a brief visit to Sydney, Australia, actresses Idina Menzel (Grande) and Kristin Chenoweth (Slater) promoted the musical Wicked and shared a friendly hug at a press event.

First-time nominee Grande’s magical night at the 2025 Oscars continued with  a hug from her date.

Rumors were swirling that Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater had split, especially since there wasn’t as much excitement surrounding the release of Wicked: For Good compared to the first movie. Grande quickly dispelled those rumors by posting a picture of herself with Slater from the London premiere of the sequel on November 10th.

On June 8, a source told TopMob News the pair had “broken up after nearly three years together.”

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2026-06-12 20:18