Why Ariana Grande’s Friends And Mother (Allegedly) Don’t Think Her Split From Ethan Slater Will Last

Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater in Wicked: For Good
(Image credit: Universal Pictures)

Since the Wicked finale, Ariana Grande has been entering a new era post-Glinda, and it's reportedly without her Boq. That's right, earlier this week, it was reported that Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater quietly split up after almost three years of dating. But maybe we should hold our breath about the future of their relationship following this latest report?

According to what sources have said to celebrity scooper Rob Shuter, those close to the singer and actress aren’t convinced the "amicable" breakup will stick. Per his source:

These two never seem to stay apart for long. Every time everyone writes them off, they find their way back to each other. Nobody close to them is calling this permanent.

Over the years, there have definitely been rumors that Grande and Slater have been in an on-again, off-again type of relationship, but we cannot confirm these claims. The scooper also says he asked the pop star's mother, Joan Grande, a few weeks ago if the Wicked couple were still together, and she responded with these words and a chuckle:

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Joan Grande’s comments hint at Grande and Slater being on the complicated side. Here's what another source reportedly said:

Their status changes all the time. They can be inseparable one week, taking space the next, and back together before anyone catches up.

Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater met on the set of the Wicked movies, which started filming back in December 2022 and concluded in January 2024 after a six-month hiatus due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. During the shooting, word of Ariana Grande and Dalton Gomez’s divorce was revealed. And then, the Wicked couple allegedly became an item in July 2023.

The relationship hasn’t been without some public drama. Ethan Slater filed for divorce from his high school sweetheart, Lilly Jay, with whom he shares a young son, at the dawn of his relationship with Grande in July 2023. His ex didn’t mince words about the situation in an article in late 2024. Here’s another new comment from one of the scooper’s insiders:

There’s still a deep connection between them. Don’t be surprised if they’re together again before summer is over.

Grande and Slater are reportedly "still friends" after their recent split; we'll have to wait and see if these claims are true. They're definitely both busy at the moment.

Ariana Grande just kicked off her first tour since 2019, The Eternal Sunshine Tour, in Oakland, California, on June 6. She's playing a total of 41 arena shows across North America and London throughout the summer. She previously told Good Hang With Amy Poehler that she’s looking at the tour as “one last hurrah” for her, as she doesn’t think she’ll be headlining her own show for a “long, long, long, long time” after it.

Grande also has a new album called Petal coming out on July 31 and an upcoming role on the 2026 movie schedule. She’ll star in Focker-In-Law with Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro and Owen Wilson, which hits theaters on November 25.

As far as Slater’s career goes, he recently finished a run on his off-Broadway play, Marcel on the Train (which he co-wrote), and is set to be in The Boys prequel series, Vought Rising, set to premiere next year.

When it comes to their relationship, I guess we'll just have to keep an eye out for updates.

Sarah El-Mahmoud
Staff Writer

Sarah El-Mahmoud has been with CinemaBlend since 2018 after graduating from Cal State Fullerton with a degree in Journalism. In college, she was the Managing Editor of the award-winning college paper, The Daily Titan, where she specialized in writing/editing long-form features, profiles and arts & entertainment coverage, including her first run-in with movie reporting, with a phone interview with Guillermo del Toro for Best Picture winner, The Shape of Water. Now she's into covering YA television and movies, and plenty of horror. Word webslinger. All her writing should be read in Sarah Connor’s Terminator 2 voice over.

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