Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater: Relationship Timeline, News

At the premiere in Los Angeles on Wicked (Part 1) last weekend, photographers caught Ariana Grande adjusting her boyfriend Ethan Slater’s bow on the red carpet. People called it a “sweet moment”. Marie Claire declared the interaction “adorable”. Even “Page Six” said it was “sweet”. I couldn’t have predicted the cultural embrace of this beloved relationship back in July 2023 when TMZ broke the news that the co-stars were dating while still married to other people.

Through a combination of carefully worded statements, choice paparazzi moments and absolute devotion to Evil brand, Grande, 31, and Slater, 32, have somehow taken their relationship from scandalous to sweet. I haven’t seen such an impressive PR turnaround since the Julia Roberts-Danny Moder affair back in 2002.

The beginning of Grande and Slater’s romance may have been messy, but they seem to have worked things out. in front Wicked (Part 1) finally opens in theaters next week, let’s all gather to reflect on how they got here.

Slater marries his high school sweetheart, Lilly Jay, just months after he was nominated for a Tony for his performance as SpongeBob in SpongeBob SquarePants musical.

Grande marries realtor Dalton Gomez in a small ceremony at her home in Montecito. According to to VogueGrande wore a custom Vera Wang dress and an Audrey Hepburn-inspired short veil.

Grande and her co-star Cynthia Erivo announce on Instagram that they have been cast as Glinda and Elphaba in Evil.

Slater and Jay welcome a baby boy together.

Slater posts a tribute to Jay on Instagram for their wedding day. Grande “liked” the post.

Slater’s role as Boq in Evil movie is announced, and Grande and Slater both head to London to begin filming.

According to Grande’s divorce documents, this is where Grande and Gomez split.

But are they separate? Grande posts an Instagram tribute to Gomez on their wedding day with the caption, “I love him so.” The post has since been deleted. A few days later, Slater wishes Jay a happy first Mother’s Day. (Grande “likes” that post, too.)

This is where things get interesting. First recordings on Evil film shuts down in London due to SAG strike. Then, a few days later, Grande is spotted at Wimbledon with fellow player Jonathan Bailey, and she’s not wearing her wedding ring. TMZ reports the next day that she and Gomez are over. A few days after, TMZ and People confirm that Slater and Grande are dating.

“Ariana and Dalton split in January,” a source narrator People. “She and Ethan recently started dating and he is separated from his wife.”

Gomez is quiet about this development, but Jay is not. She tells “Page Six“, that Grande is “not a girl’s girl” and that her family is “collateral damage”.

Slater then files for divorce from Jay.

After a few months of silence, Grande files for divorce from Gomez. She lists the couple’s separation date as February 20, 2023. Later this month, TMZ releases some blurry photos of Grande and Slater with friends at Disney World.

“Although this whole situation has been blown out of proportion, it is very different from what has been portrayed publicly,” a “friend of the couple” narrator People. “They’re just trying to navigate their new relationship privately.”

“People have tried to question the timeline,” adds another source. “The truth is Ariana and Ethan didn’t start seeing each other until both parties were respectfully separated.”

Grande attends Slater’s opening night performance Spam lottery on Broadway.

Grande releases the first single from her new album Eternal sunshinetitled “yes, and?” She makes a fairly direct reference to the tabloid chatter about her relationship with the text “Why do you care so much about whose dick I’m riding?”

Fans note that “Eternal Sunshine” and “Ethan Slater” have the same initials. Oh!

Grande’s divorce is finalized.

Grande’s half-brother, Frankie Grande, speaks out about the relationship for the first time while doing an interview on the red carpet with TooFab. “He’s very, very nice,” he says of Slater. “I just love him. I, honestly, I’ve always just said this, all I want is for my sister to be happy, and when she’s happy, I’m happy. So I’m very happy.”

A few days later, Grande and Slater make their first public appearance together at the Stanley Cup Finals in Florida, 11 months after their relationship was announced.

Slater’s divorce is final. Grande appears on the cover of Vanity Fair along with Erivo, saying that “mean, disreputable tabloids” have misrepresented her relationship with Slater. “The most disappointing thing was to see so many people believe the worst version of it,” she says. “It was definitely a tough ride.”

She adds that she “never wants to go into certain details,” but insists that “there couldn’t be a less accurate depiction of a human being than the one that the tabloids spread” about her boyfriend.

Slater addresses his side of the story (sort of) in an interview with GQ.

“Obviously it was a really super big year,” he says. “And I think there was something 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 life that really happened, so it’s really hard to see people who don’t know anything about what’s going on, comment on it and speculate, and then be wrong about the people you love. So just addressing that part of it, it feels really hard.”

With their vague statements to the media out of the way, Grande and Slater embark on a whirlwind tour of premieres and appearances to promote Evil.

After having nearly 18 months to process their relationship, fans seem ready to accept it. One offers Slater a friendship bracelet to give to Grande on the red carpet at the Sydney premiere; footage of this meeting is going viral online.

“Ethan Slater seems like the kindest and most genuine person,” says the “Wicked News Hub” account on X. “The world owes him an apology.”

Ladies and gentlemen, they did. Now Grande and Slater just have to stay happily together and scandal-free until the second one Evil the film comes out – a whole year from now. I believe in them!