Ariana Grande rarely discusses her relationship, but she couldn't resist praising her boyfriend Ethan Slater, calling him “amazing.”
During an appearance on Sean Hayes’ “Smartless” podcast on Monday, February 3, the 31-year-old Grammy winner, who skipped the awards ceremony despite three nominations, briefly mentioned her blossoming relationship.
Sean, 54, said to Ariana, “Ethan is one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. We did Good Night, Oscar together in Chicago,” and added, “He was part of Wicked too, and now you two are dating. I love it because you’re a perfect match.”
The “7 Rings” singer responded graciously, “Thank you. He’s amazing and he loves you.”
Even though Ariana has only made minimal public comments about Ethan, Life & Style previously revealed that she is “madly in love” with Ethan and considering marriage “when the time feels right.”
Getty “She’s traditional, so unless something unexpected happens, everyone anticipates her marrying him next year to start a family,” an insider exclusively shared with Life & Style in December 2024.
Ariana and Ethan met on the set of Wicked in 2022, both being married to different partners at the time, Dalton Gomez and Lilly Jay. Despite their respective marriages, rumors of Ariana and Ethan dating began circulating in spring 2023. At that point, fans believed Ariana was still with real estate agent Dalton, 29, although they had actually separated in February, as noted in her September 2023 divorce filing.
After finalizing their divorce in March 2024, Dalton began a new relationship with Maika Monroe.
Ethan filed for divorce from Lilly, aged 30, on July 26, 2023, ending their over four-year marriage and a decade-long relationship. The next day, Lilly criticized Ariana in Page Six, accusing the celebrity of not being supportive of other women.
Ethan and Lilly, who concluded their divorce in September 2023, share a 2-year-old son.
Ariana and the actor from SpongeBob Musical: Live on Stage! faced scrutiny from fans over their controversial relationship timeline, yet they continued to pursue their romance.
In January 2024, a source exclusively revealed to Life & Style that the couple had relocated together to New York City. By the end of the same year, another source shared that "Ethan is eager to propose to Ariana."
“He’s already looking at rings, so it’s just a matter of time before he asks her,” a third insider exclusively told Life & Style in September 2024.
The third insider later added, “Some of her friends, and particularly her family, believe she and Ethan should slow down. But Ari is completely smitten with him and would definitely agree if Ethan proposed.”
After the release of Wicked in November 2024, Ethan and Ariana became more open about displaying their affection publicly.”
They not only attended screenings as a pair but also posted pictures of one another on their Instagram accounts to subtly introduce their relationship to the public.
“Ethan and Ariana are no longer keeping their relationship a secret and are more joyful than ever,” a fourth source exclusively shared with Life & Style at the time. “They’re eagerly anticipating the movie’s release and looking forward to people moving past how they got together.”