09 June 2026 , 09:16
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Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater have reportedly broken up after nearly a three-year relationship.
The couple, who met after being cast as Glinda and Boq in the blockbuster movie adaptations of Wicked, were first linked in July 2023.
They later went Instagram official in November 2024, with a picture taken backstage at the Australia premiere for Wicked of Slater carrying the train of Grande’s dress.
Slater, 34, later memorably shared his delight publicly when his chart-topping girlfriend, 32, received her first Oscar nomination the following January, but largely kept their romance out of the spotlight.
However, it sadly looks like it wasn’t meant to be, with multiple reports surfacing of their break-up following recent speculation.
‘It’s amicable, they gave lots of time and careful consideration and decided to go their separate ways,’ a source told People Magazine of their split.
‘They are still friends and very supportive of one another,’ the insider added, while revealing that the former couple had actually ‘been quietly broken up for several months’.
The SpongeBob Broadway star and Grammy-winning singer began their relationship after splitting with their respective partners, with Grande’s separation from her husband Dalton Gomez confirmed days before her relationship with Slater.
The former couple were said to have split earlier in the year and had ‘been quietly and lovingly working on their friendship’ since.
Meanwhile, once his relationship with Grande went public, Slater filed for divorce from his wife Lilly Jay.
The pair had married in November 2018, with Slater revealing they had welcomed their first child together, a son, in January 2023.
Grande is said to be ‘doing great’ in the wake of their separation and focusing on her Eternal Sunshine tour, which just kicked off, ahead of her upcoming album Petal, which releases on July 31.
She even entertained fans by poking fun at her failed marriage with Dalton on her tour’s opening night in Oakland, California on Saturday by tweaking the lyrics to the hit song Thank U Next; Slater’s absence had initially been noted there too.
In March, the We Can’t Be Friends singer shared that she was ‘so very proud’ of Slater, praising the ‘beautiful run’ of the off-Broadway play Marcel on the Train, which he starred in as French mime artist Marcel Marceau, and co-wrote.
The Into You hitmaker wrote on her Instagram Stories, ‘Congratulations on a beautiful run of this very beautiful show,’ posted alongside a butterfly emoji and two outlines of hearts, adding: ‘So very proud.’
Last November, Grande and Slater were said to be ‘making it work,’ despite their busy work schedules.
A source told People at the time: ‘They both have a lot going on, but their relationship is the real deal.’
The loved-up couple were busily promoting their new movie, Wicked: For Good, at the time but they were rarely seen together earlier in the year.
The insider said: ‘They’re incredibly supportive of each other’s careers and so excited for everyone to see their new film.’
Just days beforehand, a source claimed that the pair have ‘always preferred to be low-key’.
Technology & Business Editor