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Ethan Slater Warmly Backs Ariana Grande During Her SNL Hosting Return
Ariana Grande doesn’t have to wait for Santa to tell her if Ethan Slater cares deeply—he’s showing it through his actions.
The Grammy awardee was hosting Saturday Night Live for the third time, and at the same time, her boyfriend was at 30 Rock, watching from the side and also applauding their Wicked co-star Bowen Yang who was having his last episode as a cast member.
On December 21, Liz Gillies, a longtime friend and a fellow Victorious co-star of Ariana, posted a photo on Instagram where Ethan was seen posing in Ariana’s SNL dressing room along with Liz and Aaron Simon Gross, Ariana’s childhood friend.
The SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical alum was also seen by a fan coming into 30 Rock, with the viewer taking a photo of the 33-year-old who was entering the building to greet Ariana at Studio 8H.
Ariana Grande Gently Teases Bowen Yang About His Wicked Role During SNL Monologue
During the show, Ariana Grande made a few playful references to her friend and fellow Wicked cast member Bowen Yang, teasing that she “loved” his one line in the movie.
“Thank you,” Bowen retorted during her SNL monologue. When Ariana intended to say “You’re welcome,” he interrupted her to say, “No, no, that was the line I said in the film, ‘Thank you.’”
Ethan Slater Commends Ariana Grande’s Comedy Genius as They Cheer Each Other’s Major Achievements
And though it was Bowen Yang’s night, Ethan Slater naturally was there for Ariana Grande, as he regularly expresses his admiration of her comedic talents.
“She’s really funny,” Ethan expressed to Jennifer Hudson on her talk show last year. “She’s a comedy genius.” He mentioned that some of the funniest moments of Wicked involving her were actually bloopers: “Ari is funny, I just can’t wait till people see the shots which didn’t get in.”
Upon receiving her first Oscar nomination for her role as Glinda the Good in Wicked, Ethan took to his social media to proudly announce the news, simply writing under a picture of her: “Oscar. Nominated.”
Ariana praises him as much as he does her, particularly for his devotion to the people he loves. “No one tries harder or is willing to be spread thinner in order to be there for the people he loves and cares about,” she told Vanity Fair last year. “There is no one with a better heart on this earth.”
To learn more about the love story of Ariana and Ethan, continue reading…
In September 2023, Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater Were Nearly Public About Their Relationship at Disney World
Word from a source in July 2023 was that Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater, who got to know each other while filming Wicked, had “recently” become a couple. After that, fans started finding small indications of them providing moral support to each other. For instance, in the beginning of September, Ariana without drawing attention “liked” the post that announced Ethan’s appearance in Spamalot on Broadway.
The lovebirds were photographed enjoying a day out in the happiest place on Earth, as per Ariana’s words, which is Disney World. The pictures published by TMZ show the pair holding hands while strolling through the park in Florida.
The source said to the E! News that the couple was out “with a large group of friends including her mom and brother” and further stated that Ariana and Ethan “seem very happy and are really good for each other.”
It’s Supernatural: October 2023
Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater’s secret romance which was still under the radar in October 2023, gradually exposed a bit more. The Wicked pair were seen by TMZ sources to be very affectionate during their dinner in New York City.
Later on, Grande attended the preview of Spamalot on Broadway to support Ethan’s performance as The Historian/Prince Herbert. Leaving the St. James Theatre, the smiling artist was spotted with her friends decked out with a paper crown from the play and holding a Spamalot Playbill. It was definitely a proud moment for her as the costar she turned boyfriends gained cheers.
She Loves to See Him From Her POV: November 2023
In November 2023, Ariana Grande went on with her Broadway streak by being at the official opening night of Spamalot to support Ethan Slater.
Furthermore, she gave a sneak peek of her night on her Instagram by uploading pictures of herself in a glamorous black dress along with sheer black gloves and holding a Spamalot cup. The last picture in her carousel was a cute tribute to the cast including Slater with a message saying, “Happy Opening of Broadway Show.”
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Enjoying Winter: December 2023–January 2024
Ariana Grande gave her followers a Christmas view in December 2023 by sharing pictures of her holiday decorations on Instagram. Among the decorations was a wall Christmas tree with a Spam can ornament that people immediately connected with Ethan Slater, who was starring in the Broadway show Spamalot at the time.
On December 23, 2023, Ariana and Ethan took out the trash for dinner in New York City with Ed Butera, her dad. Once again, it was a silent but a clear sign that their relationship was becoming public.
At that time, Grande began to give hints on social media about new songs, and shortly afterward, she revealed that her album would be called Eternal Sunshine and be released in early 2024. There is no song directly indicated to be about Slater, but still, fans figured that the album’s initials, “E.S.,” are the same as those of Ariana’s boyfriend, whether coincidentally or intentionally.
Love May Still Be a Possibility: Summer 2024
During the month of March 2024, Ariana Grande and her ex-husband Dalton Gomez came to the point where they officially ended their marriage. In the following summer, her family, particularly her brother, was very supportive of her new romance with Ethan Slater.
“I love him,” Ariana’s brother Frankie Grande declared about Slater in an interview with TooFab in June 2024. “He is really a charming and nice guy.”
Being the final days of their father’s comments, Slater and Ariana attended the 2024 Stanley Cup Final together in Florida. It was probably with more attention on their relationship they have been since it was official in the public.
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This Is the True Story: September 2024
Ariana Grande in a Vanity Fair interview in September 2024 talked about her relationship with Ethan Slater for the first time publicly and expressed that their romance was not overlapping with their previous marriages.
“No, it is definitely still not easy seeing some negativity coming out of disreputable tabloids. That is one thing that I continue to struggle with. It’s true. I experienced huge life changes while shooting this movie, and so did a lot of other people working on it,” she revealed.
Furthermore, she made a clear stand about Slater’s character: “The tabloids couldn’t have come up with a more wrong and disgusting depiction of a human being than the one they did about him. Nobody on this planet works harder or goes further in order to be there for the people that he loves and cares about. There is no one with a better heart than him in this world and no fake tabloid can change that in real life.”
Meanwhile, Slater got his divorce with ex Lilly Jay, with whom he has a child, legally confirmed in the same month.
Imperfect For Each Other: November 2024
A month after Ethan Slater accompanied Ariana Grande to support her hosting gig on Saturday Night Live in October 2024, he publicly discussed their relationship—and the surrounding controversy—for the first time.
“It was a wonderful year and a really lovely story,” he told GQ in an interview in November 2024, reminiscing about how he fell in love with Grande when they were filming Wicked. “I’m just so psyched. I’m really, really proud of Ari and the work she’s done on this. She’s given this her all.”
However, he also expressed how difficult it has been for him to watch the public eye constantly dissect their relationship: “There were a lot of personal life changes that were really happening, so it’s very difficult for us when people who haven’t seen or experienced the situation at all come and comment on it.”
Nonetheless, he manages to ignore some of the things—especially when it comes to Ariana’s music. In reference to the song “Imperfect For You” that was said to be about him, Slater remarked, “I love that song.”
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November 2024: Magical Moments
Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater did an adorable movie promo, which also served as a sweet public display of affection, at a Wicked press event in Sydney, Australia. The couple joined hands with each other and looked like they truly enjoyed the day they spent together at the city known as the Emerald City for the short day.
