The Truth to Rumors Ariana Grande & Ethan Slater Broke up After Reports There’s ‘Tension’ in Their Relationship—Her Friends ‘Doubt’ They’ll Stay Together After Wicked
Is there trouble in Oz? There’s been speculation that Ethan Slater and Ariana Grande aren’t together, but what is the truth to the ongoing rumors?
The rumors started to spread rampantly when Ethan Slater was absent from Ariana Grande’s appearance at the MTV VMAs. According to celebrity gossip source Rob Shuter and his SubStack #ShuterScoop, his absence meant more than the eyes sees. “They’re holding on for the film,” a close friend revealed. “The studio doesn’t want breakup headlines overshadowing Wicked Part Two. But people close to them doubt this will last beyond the release.” After divorcing their respective spouses, their relationship has reportedly been worrying their families. “Her family has stood by her, but there’s tension,” another friend claims. “They always worried she rushed in too quickly.”
The two have appeared separately on the red carpet for Wicked: For Good, so is their relationship over…for good?
Are Ethan Slater & Ariana Grande still together?
As of writing, Ethan Slater and Ariana Grande are still together. They even posted each other’s red carpet moments on their Instagram stories leading up to the film’s premiere.
A source told People on Nov. 12, 2025: “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.”
After divorcing their respective spouses, the two often opt to not go public about their romances. In an interview with The New York Times, Ariana Grande commented on the decision. “I’ve never felt this connected to my art or inspired, and that’s just been such a tremendous gift. It’s like, ‘Oh, I don’t actually have to take on those things that were projected onto me. I can focus on my art and that can be a separate entity.’ But I had to give myself the permission to think that.”
The two often go to great lengths to keep their relationship hidden from the public. A source told The Sun that the two even had separate hotel suites to avoid attention. “They were both at the Leicester Square premiere and the after-party at Brasserie Zedel but made sure they weren’t seen together,” the source revealed. “Obviously it fuels the speculation around them but they don’t want their relationship to play out in public. When Ariana left the after-party, she went back to her hotel suite. Not long after, Ethan was taken there and went up to see Ariana to spend time with her.
The source concluded, “They are aware of what is being said and it’s not easy for them but they’re doing the best they can to snatch some quiet moments when no one is watching.”
Slater made a rare comment about their relationship, telling GQ, “I’m just really, really proud of Ari and the work she’s done on this. 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.”
