Ariana Grande Went From 'Wicked' Co-Stars to Couple in a Matter of Months (2024)

Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater's relationship began making headlines the moment they started dating, and the buzz around the couple has been nonstop ever since.The two first met while making the film adaptation of Wicked, and within a matter of months, they went from co-stars to a full-on couple.

Prior to getting together, Grande was with her husband Dalton Gomez for two years, while Slater had been married to his high school sweetheart Lilly Jay since 2018.The news of their relationship broke in July 2023, three days after Grande and Gomez announced their break up and six days before Slater filed for divorce. However, sources were adamant that things only turned romantic between them following their respective separations. While their relationship has been a hot topic of conversation on the internet, not much is actually known about them as a couple.

Ahead, take a look back at Grande and Slater's whirlwind romance from the very beginning.

December 2022: Ethan Slater joins the cast of Wicked.

Grande and Slater presumably first met when the actor was cast as Boq in the two-part film adaptation ofWicked. Coincidentally, Boq is the love interest of Elphaba’s sister, Nessarose, who is infatuated with Glinda the Good Witch (played by Grande).

May 2023: Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater film their first scene together.

Grande and Slater were photographed together while filming a scene as Glinda and Boq in Wicked. In the photo, the pair held hands, as Grande wore head-to-toe lavender and Slater was dressed in a blue striped suit jacket and shorts.

July 16, 2023: Ariana Grande is spotted without her wedding ring at Wimbledon.

Fans first became suspicious that Grande's relationship status might change after she was spotted at Wimbledon without her wedding ring. She was joined by a different Wicked co-star, Jonathan Bailey, for the appearance.

July 17, 2023: Ariana Grande splits from husband Dalton Gomez.

The next day, it was reported that Grande and her husband, Dalton Gomez, had split after two years of marriage. A source told People that they separated earlier in 2023 and "have been quietly and lovingly working on their friendship."

July 20, 2023: Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater are dating.

In a plot twist no one saw coming, Grande was confirmed to be dating Slater three days after her split from Gomez was announced.

A week following the news, an insider told People that the two grew close while filming, but no one expected them to start dating. “It was obvious on the set from early on ... they were very sweet to each other and often seen laughing together," the source said, adding that everyone thought it was just a fun friendship.

A second source told the outlet that Grande and Slater did not get romantically involved until both were separated from their spouses.

July 26, 2023: Ethan Slater files for divorce from his wife Lilly Jay.

Slater filed for divorce in New York on July 26, according to TMZ.

Soon after, his ex-wife, Lilly Jay, gave a statement to Page Six about the split, telling the outlet, “[Ariana’s] the story, really. Not a girl’s girl. My family is just collateral damage.” Jay also added that she was focused on being "a good mom" to her and Slater's child.

September 2023: Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater make their first public appearance as a couple at Disney World.

Grande and Slater went on a Disney date for their first public outing as a couple. In photos obtained by TMZ, they were spotted arm-in-arm walking around Disney World together in hats and hoodies. They were joined by a group of friends, as well as Grande's mom and brother, Frankie.

October 2023: Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater reportedly move in together.

According to a source at Us Weekly, Grande and Slater started living together in New York City. “Ethan informed his friends and soon-to-be ex-wife that he’s living with Ariana full-time in New York,” the insider explained. “They’re really happy and really good for each other. All of her friends love him.”

November 2023: Ariana Grande attends the premiere of Ethan Slater's Broadway show, 'Spamalot.'

Grande sweetly supported Slater during the opening night of the Broadway revival ofSpamalot, in which the actor plays historian Prince Herbert. For the occasion, Grande looked elegant in a black Loewe gown with sheer black opera gloves and a red lip.

December 2023: Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater have dinner with her dad in NYC.

Ahead of Slater's 7:30 p.m.Spamalotperformance on December 23, the couple stepped out for dinner with Grande's dad, Ed Butera, at an Italian restaurant in New York while twinning in all-black outfits.

January 2024: Ariana Grande seemingly addresses her and Ethan Slater's relationship in her new single "Yes, And?"

Grande appeared to shut down the online chatter surrounding her and Slater's relationship with her new single "Yes, And?"

In the bridge, Grande sings, “Don’t comment on my body, do not reply / Your business is yours and mine is mine / Why do you care so much whose dick I ride?” The second verse goes a little something like this: “Now, I’m so done with caring / What you think, no, I won’t hide / Underneath your own projections / Or change my most authentic life.”

February 2024: Ariana Grande breaks her silence about the Ethan Slater cheating rumors.

While making an appearance on The Zach Sang Show on the Amazon Music channel on Twitch, Grande opened up about her relationship with Slater for the first time, breaking her silence on the cheating rumors that have followed their relationship since the beginning.

During the interview, Sang commented on the "darkness" that can come with happiness, asking Grande if there's anything she wished people knew. "Plenty. We don't have enough time," she said, adding: "I feel like we don’t need to go into any specifics, but, of course, there’s like an insatiable frustration, inexplicable, hellish feeling with watching people, misunderstand the people you love and you and anything."

When asked whether her new album, Eternal Sunshine, might set the record straight, she responded, "I hope so. I think it does. I think it's the absolute worst idea. Pieces of it touch on things that are real and then pieces of it are part of the concept. So, what is that separation? It's scary to leave it up to these selective memory people to decipher."