Ethan Slater has everyone raising eyebrows after tiptoeing around questions about Ariana Grande during a recent interview. There have been rumors swirling all month that the couple broke up, and with fans dissecting every moment of the Wicked: For Good press tour, they believe that he just offered up even more evidence that they're done.
This week, Slater joined the Today show, and co‑host Craig Melvin asked how it felt “working with [his] girlfriend every day” on Wicked: For Good. Slater didn’t engage; he praised the entire cast instead. "Well, the entire cast was incredible, and Ariana is brilliant. And Cynthia is remarkable," he said.
Breakup rumors have been ramping up over the last few weeks. Back in October, a source told the Daily Mail that the couple might be hitting a rough patch. “Ethan sometimes wonders if he should’ve stayed in his quieter world,” the insider said, describing the juggling act between life with Ariana and co-parenting his son with ex-wife Lilly Jay.
“He loves her, but the pace of her life is overwhelming. Even at home, his mind is halfway through rehearsals or tour stops. It’s exhausting just watching him try to keep up," the source added.
But aside from fans using them not standing together for picture ops as evidence, there isn't really a strong case that they've broken up. A source told TMZ in November that they were at the London premiere, holding hands, and were “being affectionate backstage.”
An insider also told PEOPLE in a story released on November 12, “They both have a lot going on, but their relationship is the real deal." “They’re incredibly supportive of each other’s careers and so excited for everyone to see their new film," they added.
Drama from the start
Their relationship history is part of the messiness. They met while filming the Wicked movie when they were both married. Slater filed for divorce from his wife, Dr. Lilly Jay, in July 2023, while Grande was also finalizing her divorce from Dalton Gomez.
Then Jay, who had a baby less than a year old, blew the top off everything, telling Page Six, “[Ariana’s] the story, really. Not a girl’s girl." “My family is just collateral damage."
The clinical psychologist in perinatal mental health & child development went on to pen an essay for The Cut, where she shared her story and how the public spectacle impacted her. "I really never thought I would get divorced. Especially not just after giving birth to my first child, and especially not in the shadow of my husband’s new relationship with a celebrity."
While the couple has stayed relatively private, Grande pushed back against tabloid portrayals, “The most disappointing part was to see so many people believe the worst version of it,” Grande told Vanity Fair for her September 30 profile. “That was definitely a tough ride.”