Ariana Grande's boyfriend and Wicked co-star Ethan Slater shares rare details of 'beautiful' year together
Ariana Grande's boyfriend Ethan Slater has given a rare interview ahead of the release of their big-screen adaptation Wicked, calling their romance "beautiful" and sharing how "excited" he is for the future.
Broadway star Ethan was cast as Boq in the film adaptation of the hit musical; Boq is a munchkin who falls in love with Glinda (played by Ariana) and inadvertently begins the cycle that leads to the downfall of Oz.
Ethan and Ariana met on the set, and news of their romance emerged in the summer of 2023, as Ethan was divorcing his childhood sweetheart Lilly Jay, the mother of their then-one-year-old son.
"Obviously, it was a really super big year,” Ethan has now told GQ of the past 12 months.
"And I think there was something that was really difficult about things in your private life being commented on and looked at by the public. 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 and speculating, and then getting things wrong about the people you love. So just to address that part of it, that feels really hard."
However, he continued: "But, of course, it was an amazing year and a really beautiful thing, and I’m just really excited. I’m just really, really proud of Ari and the work she’s done on thi [film]. She’s poured herself into it. I’m really proud that I got to be there for that part of it, and I’m really excited to be there for this next step of it when the world gets to see the amazing thing that she did."
Wicked will be Ariana's big screen debut as a lead film star; she also appeared in the 2021 drama Don't Look Up.
Cynthia Erivo stars as Elphaba, and Jonathan Bailey as Fyero.
Wicked tells the story of how the Wicked Witch of the West, whom we met in The Wizard of Oz, became known as the Wicked Witch. Set in the Land of Oz in the years before Dorothy Gale landed there in the wake of a tornado, the story follows green-skinned Elphaba as she studies and makes friends at Shiz University, including an unlikely friendship with a classmate who later becomes Glinda the Good Witch of the North.
Ethan is a Tony-nominated actor for his work in the surprise smash Spongebob Squarepants: The Musical, and he also appeared in Spamalot.
Ariana previously dated The Wanted's Nathan Sykes, and dancer Ricky Alvarez. A close friendship turned into a romance with Mac Miller in 2016, and the relationship sparked engagement rumors when Ariana was spotted wearing a diamond ring. However, the couple broke up in May 2018.
In September 2018 Mac died of a drug overdose, and Ariana paid tribute to him in several songs including "Ghostin'".
She also enjoyed a whirlwind romance and engagement with Pete Davidson; their engagement news broke just weeks after they began dating. However, the engagement was short-lived as the couple parted ways in October 2018.
She married real estate agent Dalton Gomez in 2021, and the private ceremony was attended only by their dearest friends and family. They sadly divorced in July 2023, although it is thought the pair remain friends.
