When rumors of a secret romance between Wicked co-stars Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater first surfaced in 2023, critics doubted the love affair would last.
After all, the relationship began in scandal: in March 2023, Grande divorced her then-husband, real estate broker Dalton Gomez, while that September, Slater split from his now ex-wife and former high-school sweetheart Lilly-Jay, with whom he has a two-year-old son.
Allegations that Grande and Slater might have cheated on their spouses with each other – hotly denied by the actors – soon began swirling as fans scrutinized the timeline of their romance.
Others questioned their compatibility, slamming Grande as a ‘homewrecker’ or saying that she was out of 5’7” Slater’s ‘league’.
But whether for love or to save face, Grande, 31, and Slater, 32, look set to confound their critics, with talk of marriage.
‘This has been the most challenging year for Ariana, but Ethan has been her rock,’ one insider told the Daily Mail. ‘She has suggested marriage and her mom is keen for her to have children. She has been for quite some time.
Ariana Grande and her boyfriend Ethan Slater look set to confound their critics, with talk of marriage, insiders tell the Daily Mail
When rumors of a secret romance between the Wicked costars first surfaced in 2023, the pair were accused of cheating on their respective partners – something they both denied
‘Ariana would like to marry Ethan and believes he is her soul partner. But the relationship has been blighted by so much stress.’
There is no question that the past two years have proved challenging for the celebrity couple.
First, they weathered the furious backlash after their relationship was revealed. Then came the exhaustive promotional trail for Wicked – and how to avoid scuppering the success of the $150 million film with their personal drama.
Awards season soon followed, with Grande attending a succession of Hollywood’s most lavish ceremonies – including the Oscars, Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild – in a failed bid to be honored for her turn as Glinda, the Good Witch.
During this time, she also became the subject of relentless discussions about her alarmingly slim figure.
She eventually hit back in a three-minute long TikTok video, insisting she was the healthiest she had ever been – but it did little to dissipate the concerns.
‘She has been leaning a lot on Ethan,’ our insider said. ‘She’s been fighting off cheating accusations for months and has been called every horrible name imaginable.
‘Of course it hurts her. She has made Ethan her everything. Her family feels that she is safe with him. Everyone now wants her to take a vacation to get away from all of it.’
Now sources tell Daily Mail: ‘Ariana would like to marry Ethan and believes he is her soul partner. But the relationship has been blighted by so much stress’
Slater, 32, left his now ex-wife and former high-school sweetheart Lilly-Jay, with whom he has a two-year-old son, for Grande (pictured)
Slater and Grande finally went public back in November when Wicked arrived in cinemas, with the pair openly stealing kisses and hugging at events.
They had met in December 2022, while filming the smash-hit musical in the UK, with Slater playing a munchkin – Boq – who has a crush on Grande’s Glinda.
Life clearly imitated art, with whispers soon emerging that they were dating.
Grande was seen with Slater, pushing his son in a stroller during a break from filming in March 2023, while she was overheard telling friends she really ‘wanted a baby one day’.
That same month, Slater was pictured with his arm on Grande’s lap at actress Michelle Yeoh’s Oscars party. The couple are said to have arrived and left together.
Aerial images taken on the set of Wicked in May that year showed the pair strolling towards their trailers together.
And in June, Grande was spotted with her arm around the actor at private members’ club Soho Farmhouse, where they celebrated her 30th birthday.
By November 2023, Grande had moved in with Slater in New York while he performed in Monty Python musical Spamalot on Broadway.
In March 2023, Grande divorced her then-husband, real estate broker Dalton Gomez (pictured)
Whispers emerged that they were dating not long after they started filming Wicked in December 2022 (pictured with their costar Cynthia Erivo in 2023)
Slater’s then-wife Lilly Jay was left heartbroken by the breakdown of her marriage and was said to have felt ‘betrayed’ by Grande, who had frequently ‘hung out’ with her and her newborn son.
Both parties have vehemently denied they had an affair – but Slater’s ex-wife Jay, who moved with him to the UK while he was shooting Wicked, might dispute the denial.
The clinical psychologist married the actor in 2018 before welcoming their son in August 2022. After finalizing their divorce in September 2024, Jay penned an explosive op-ed for The Cut three months later, branding the time after her breakup as the ‘saddest days of my life.’
She recalled her agonizing grief at having to witness her ex-husband promoting Wicked with the woman he had left her for, revealing it was a very painful reminder of the ‘public downfall of my marriage’.
But now Jay may soon find herself grappling with the sight of her ex-husband walking down the aisle with Grande, with insiders claiming they could say, ‘I do’ as early as this year.
‘Ariana and Ethan plan to get married this year,’ a second source told the Daily Mail. ‘They have talked about starting a family.’
The pair have cleared their schedules until the Wicked: For Good sequel is released on November 21.
‘They’re going to take some vacation time,’ our source continued. ‘They plan on touring Europe and Asia too. They also want to relax on a beach somewhere and just chill for a couple of weeks.’
Grande, 31, went Instagram official with Slater after the Wicked premiere in Sydney back in November and the pair have since made several red carpet appearances together
The pair then proceeded to steal kisses and hugs at upcoming premieres and awards shows, after trying to keep their relationship low-key
It will be a welcome break for Slater who is said to have been left ‘stressed’ by the events of the last year.
‘His friends have noticed he has felt overwhelmed,’ a second insider said. ‘People continue to praise how great Ariana was in Wicked, but all he can focus on is what they’re saying about her appearance and their relationship. He has confided in those he trusts about how he feels.’
Unlike the lesser-known Slater, Grande is no stranger to headlines about her love life – in particular, allegations of infidelity.
An early ex, Australian YouTuber Jai Brooks, claimed she reduced him to a ‘a miserable wreck’ after allegedly cheating on him in 2013 with The Wanted’s Nathan Sykes, though Ariana denied this.
The following year she started dating rapper Big Sean – while he was reportedly still engaged to the late Glee star Naya Rivera. Grande insisted she started dating him only after he split from the actress.
In 2016, she started dating DJ Mac Miller. They split in 2018.
Within three weeks she confirmed that she was in a relationship with Saturday Night Live comedian Pete Davidson and the pair quickly got engaged.
But they separated when Miller died of a drug overdose at his home in LA in September 2018. That same year she met real estate broker Gomez.
Her quick succession of men has raised questions about her future with Slater, with some fans insisting: ‘If it wasn’t for the backlash, she would have already left him.’
Yet now it seems wedding bells could ring.
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