You won’t believe what fans are saying after Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater’s shocking split.
The couple, who met on the set of the
Wicked film in 2022 and went public the following summer, "have quietly been broken up after nearly three years together," a
source explained.
Both stars had periodically defended their private lives amid fan and media scrutiny. Grande addressed media coverage and fan theories in a September 2024
Vanity Fair interview.
"It definitely doesn’t get any easier, seeing some of the negativity that was birthed by disreputable tabloids,” the hitmaker 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."
The chart-topping artist broke her silence about her relationship nearly a year after they started dating. She did not hesitate to touch upon Slater’s character amid the online backlash.
"There couldn’t be a less accurate depiction of a human being than the one that the tabloids spread about him," she
stressed. "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."
The relationship’s early public timeline drew attention amid questions about overlap with prior marriages. Both Grande and Slater finalized their divorces in 2024, but the pair made it clear that their romance did not overlap with previous relationships.
Slater was previously married to his ex-wife,
Lily Jay. The two finalized their divorce back in 2024. Meanwhile, Grande called it quits with
Dalton Gomez on March 19, 2024.
Despite everyone’s unwanted thoughts and opinions, Slater has always spoken very highly of Grande and praised her artistry. He previously told
Extra that her performance in
Wicked was "unbelievable."
"Ariana’s performance is out of this world," he
said, ahead of the New York premiere in November of 2025. At the time, Grande was also nominated for Best Supporting Actress for the 2026 Academy Awards.
Fans have been vocal about the split. Arianators flooded social media after reports surfaced, with many echoing the sentiment "she’s such a catch, she could do better," and demanding answers about what prompted the breakup.
From an Arianator perspective, excitement turned to concern after Grande’s opening-night concert performance of "thank u, next," which some fans read as unusually charged. Many longtime fans say they "knew something was up" and are now poring over posts, sightings, and interviews for clues.
Representatives for Grande and Slater have not issued public statements beyond the reporting to
E! News. As both artists continue promoting their respective projects and responding to awards-season attention, fans and media alike are watching for any further comment from either party.
Photo Credit: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
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