A complete timeline of Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater’s relationship, including meeting on set and their ultimate red-carpet moment

Ariana Grande’s love life has always attracted headlines. But nothing – not even the Pete Davidson saga – prepared the internet for the chaos that followed her casting in Wicked.

One minute she was married and living quietly; the next, she was being linked to her Munchkin co-star Ethan Slater, who also happened to be married with a newborn. Cue rings vanishing, on-set whispers, exes speaking out and full-blown internet outrage.

As Wicked: For Good hits our screens, here’s how the most talked-about relationship of the past few years actually unfolded.

December 2022: Wicked begins filming in the UK. Ariana Grande, at this point married to American real estate developer Dalton Gomez, is cast as Glinda, while Ethan Slater plays Boq the Munchkin (yes, really). He’s married at that point too, to his high-school sweetheart Lilly Jay, and the two welcomed their first child in early 2022. But more on that later.

16th July 2023: Grande is papped at Wimbledon, with eagle-eyed fans noticing she’s ditched her wedding ring.

17th July 2023: TMZ reports that Grande and Gomez have separated. Entertainment Tonight confirms the news, with an insider adding: ‘Dalton went to Europe recently to be with Ariana and try to work things out between them. But it just wasn’t working. They were having issues for a while, but they are trying to be as respectful as they can and protect each other’s privacy through this break-up.’

20th July 2023: A source confirms to People that Grande and Slater are dating. ‘It was obvious on the set from early on,’ the insider added. They were very sweet to each other and often seen laughing together. Everyone just thought they were both happily married, though, and didn’t expect them to end up dating.’

26th July 2023: Slater files for divorce from Lilly Jay, his wife of five years.

26th September 2023: Grande and Slater are spotted holding hands and strolling around Disney World in Orlando. A source confirmed to the Daily Mail the pair are living together in New York while Slater preps for Broadway production Spamalot.

7th October 2023: People reports Grande and Gomez have settled their divorce in accordance with their prenup. Meanwhile, a source confirms to Us Weekly that Grande and Slater are living together, saying: ‘Ethan informed his friends and soon-to-be ex-wife that he’s living with Ariana full-time in New York. They’re really happy and really good for each other. All of her friends love him.’

31st October 2023: Grande supports her boyfriend at the first preview showing of Spamalot in New York.

12th November 2023: Slater and Grande attend a showing of Gutenberg! The Musical!, as documented by their friend Andrew Rannells’ Instagram.

16th November 2023: Grande attends the premiere of Slater’s Broadway show Spamalot in that strapless Loewe gown and opera gloves.

21st December 2023: Grande pays tribute to her boyfriend with a can of ‘Spam’ on her Christmas tree, presumably in reference to his Broadway play.

23rd December 2023: Grande and Slater head out for dinner in New York, accompanied by her father, Ed Butera.

28th December 2023: Grande appears to address critics of her relationship with an open letter shared on Instagram. ‘I’ve never felt more at the mercy of and in acceptance of what life was screaming to teach me,’ she posted on her story. ‘I have never felt more pride or joy or love while simultaneously feeling so deeply misunderstood by people who don’t know me, who piece whispers together and make what they want out of me and their assumptions of my life.’

12th January 2024: Grande drops the single Yes, And? which, despite not mentioning Slater by name, does seem influenced by the controversy. See: ‘Why do you care so much whose d*ck I ride?’

10th April 2024: Wicked star Jeff Goldblum shares a snap of Slater and Grande in matching print outfits at CinemaCon.

5th June 2024: Grande’s brother Frankie opens up about Slater. ‘I love him, he’s a very sweet guy,’ Frankie told TooFab. ‘I’ve been a fan of him ever since seeing him in SpongeBob. I got to interview him when I was doing the SpongeBob SquarePants podcast. And the Broadway community is a tight-knit family.’

‘He’s very sweet. He’s very, very, very sweet. I just, I adore him. 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.’

8th June 2024: Grande and Slater make a rare public appearance at the Stanley Cup Final in Florida.

30th September 2024: Grande defends Slater in an interview with Vanity Fair, criticising his portrayal in the tabloids. ‘There couldn’t be a less accurate depiction of a human being than the one that the tabloids spread about him,’ she says.

‘No one on this earth tries harder or spreads themselves thinner to be there for the people that he loves and cares about. There is no one on this earth with a better heart, and that is something that no bullshit tabloid can rewrite in real life.’

30th October 2024: Slater gushes about Grande during an interview with GQ, saying: ‘Ari’s Ari, and she’s amazing. She’s a comedian who’s also got this crazy voice that can do anything. My unbiased opinion is that she’s one of the best comedians that’s been in a movie in a long time. She’s a genius.’

He also touches on press interest in their relationship, saying it’s ‘really difficult’ to have your private life dissected. ‘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.’

4th November 2024: In a photo dump from the Wicked press tour, Grande shares her first snap of Slater. Aww.

9th November 2024: Grande and Slater share several cute moments on the LA Wicked red carpet, with Grande stopping to fix Slater’s bow tie. Grande also gushes about her partner to a reporter, saying: He’s always that adorable and he’s so amazing in this film. He’s such an amazing person. I’m so happy people are getting to know him. My heart is very happy.’

14th November 2024: In a rare PDA, Grande and Slater share a cuddle on the Wicked red carpet in New York.

1st December 2024: A fan shares a selfie with Grande and Slater, who she bumped into shopping for a Christmas tree in New York.

19th December 2024: Slater’s ex-wife, Lilly Jay, drops several bombshells in an essay published in The Cut. In it, the clinical psychologist wrote: ‘But 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.’

She added: ‘I confidently moved to another country with my two-month-old baby and my husband to support his career. Consumed by the magic and mundanity of new motherhood, I didn’t understand the growing distance between us.’

‘As for me, days with my son are sunny. Days when I can’t escape the promotion of a movie [Wicked] associated with the saddest days of my life are darker,’ she concluded.

27th December 2024: A source tells Us Weekly that Grande and Slater have been ‘inseparable’ since the Wicked press tour. ‘The Wicked press tour made their relationship ever stronger, and Ariana is over the moon about Ethan,’ they said. ‘They have so much in common, which is something Ari never had with past relationships.’

7th January 2025: Grande and Slater kick-start the year with multiple public outings, with Slater supporting Grande at the Annual Palm Springs International Film Awards and National Board of Review Annual Awards Gala.

23rd January 2025: Grande lands her first Oscars nomination for Best Supporting Actress and Slater shares a celebratory photo of her on his Instagram grid.

2nd March 2025: Grande and Slater attend the Oscars, and despite not walking the red carpet together, look very cosy inside the Dolby Theatre.

17th October 2025: After a quiet year out of the spotlight, and as the Wicked: For Good press tour starts, the Daily Mail reports Grande and Slater have been ‘on and off for most of this year’, fuelling break-up rumours.

12th November: People Mag refutes break-up rumours with a source revealing: ‘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.’

21st November 2025: Grande reposts one of Slater’s backstage shots, accompanying it with a cute little Tin Man.