Glaring Red Flags In Ariana Grande And Ethan Slater's Relationship

"Breaking Free" singer Ariana Grande and "Spongebob Squarepants: The Broadway Musical" actor Ethan Slater have become one of Hollywood's most controversial couples, sparking dating rumors that set the internet ablaze after the two met on the set of "Wicked" when filming began in December of 2022. The discourse really took off in July 2023 after speculation began circling that the two were cozying up on set. A source told US Weekly that the pair did not conceal their flirting, and that "they'd hold hands on set in between takes."

Many have chosen to voice their concerns about Grande, who stars as Glinda in the film adaptation, and Slater, who plays the munchkin Boq, since the relationship rumors started steadily making headlines in 2023; and, well, we can't blame them. For months, their status was kept so under-wraps that fans were left guessing the timeline of the pair, and the nature in which they got together is certainly enough to raise alarms.

Ariana Grande married realtor Dalton Gomez in 2021 after meeting during the pandemic in 2020. Slater, on the other hand, married his high school sweetheart Lilly Jay in 2018, and the couple welcomed a baby boy in August 2022. So, yes, they were both legally married at the time that they met and when the rumors of their romance began.

Slater officially filed for divorce in July 2023, neglecting to provide a reason in the documentation. A mere two months later, Grande followed in his footsteps, officially filing for divorce in September 2023, citing the reason as "irreconcilable differences," according to People. Coincidence? Seems unlikely.

While it has been reported that Grande and Gomez were experiencing issues before the announcement of their separation, the couple had reportedly split up around the time Grande moved to England for filming. However, Page Six reports that Lilly Jay was not prepared for the news. "It's horrible. They were high school sweethearts," a source said. "They have a baby! She's a wreck."

Lilly Jay did not hesitate to voice her disdain for her estranged husband's rumored new relationship. In an interview with Page Six, posted just four days after Slater filed for divorce, Jay claimed, "[Ariana's] the story, really. Not a girl's girl. My family is just collateral damage."

In May 2024, Grande released her seventh studio album, "Eternal Sunshine", with many of the songs seemingly hinting at her relationship with Slater. Jay, in particular, had some strong feelings about the track "The Boy is Mine". According to Daily Mail, a source close to Jay stated, "Ariana's new album just shows what kind of woman she truly is. To sing a song called The Boy Is Mine is not only a slap in the face to his still wife Lilly, but a slap in the face to all women." The source added, "Ariana basically rubbed it in Lilly's face that she stole Ethan from Lilly then asked her fans to not interpret her song the wrong way."

To make matters worse, an insider source told US Weekly about how Slater's close friends are "worried she'll break his heart." Which very well could be possible, even more than a year after the claim was made, considering Grande's checkered relationship history.

With songs like "Thank U, Next" and "break up with your girlfriend, i'm bored", it comes to no surprise to find out that Ariana Grande has had a reputation of breaking up relationships. Many women have come forward claiming that their celebrity boyfriends were cheating on them with Grande.

Late Glee actress Naya Rivera was engaged to Big Sean in 2014 when him and Grande began working on music together. Rivera detailed in her memoir, "Sorry Not Sorry," (via Us Weekly) that once when her and the rapper were fighting, "I walk in, go downstairs, and guess what little girl is sitting cross-legged on the couch listening to music? ... It rhymes with 'Smariana Schmande.'" Rivera and Big Sean officially separated in April 2014, and he and Grande started their relationship almost immediately after. They dated for eight months.

Mac Miller and Ariana Grande wrote their first song together, "The Way" in 2013 while both of them were already in committed relationships. In the music video for the song, the two share a smooch, while, again, both were seeing other people. The late singer had been dating his high school sweetheart Nomi Leasure, and Grande was dating actor Graham Phillips. The circumstances of their relationship was alarmingly similar to Grande's relationship with Slater as rumors swirled online once the music video was released. Leisure even accused Miller of cheating in a Tumblr post, but she failed to officially name Grande as the culprit. People couldn't help but assume it was her as Leasure and Miller broke up in 2016. His relationship with Grande became public shortly after, and they dated for two years.

While many Hollywood stars have come to Grande's aid amidst the scandalous rumors about her and Slater's relationship, she herself has come up with unique ways to fight back against the haters. The highest streamed song on Grande's "Eternal Sunshine" album is the track "Yes, And?" which was seemingly fueled by the online discourse surrounding Grande and Slater. With 94.4 million streams at the time of writing, the lyrics hide no secret that Grande is tired of the negativity surrounding her name in the tabloids.

Grande sings, "Your business is yours and mine is mine / Why do you care so much whose d*** I ride?" Claiming that the public's investment in her love life is uncalled for, which would be fair if there wasn't considerable evidence that she caused Slater to leave his wife and newborn child. History has shown us that there's no fighting fire with fire, as Buzzfeed reported that she lost more than a quarter of a million followers the week the song was released.

Neither Grande nor Slater have officially confirmed their relationship at the time of writing, which is more than a year after the rumors began circulating. While there have been a slew of inside sources that have claimed the two are together, along with paparazzi photos of them together in public, the two aren't confirming anything. According to a source for People, this has come as a result of them "... just trying to navigate their new relationship in private."

What Grande has come forward to say about their relationship feels nothing short of damage control. In September 2024, she opened up to Vanity Fair about the negative and hateful portrayal of Slater in the media, the backlash she has received, and what the public is willing to believe. However, not once did she refer to him as her boyfriend. At the time, Slater had yet to comment publicly about any aspect of the controversy.