Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater gave us a rare peek into their relationship, sharing sweet photos from their seemingly quiet Christmas together. The Wicked stars downplayed their romance while doing press for the musical sequel, leading some to think their two-year relationship was nearing its end, but Slater posted several pics of Grande that should put any split speculation to rest.
The actors have kept their relationship pretty private after coming together in 2023 on the set of Jon M. Chu’s adaptation of the beloved musical and ending their respective marriages. Last year, Ariana Grande paid subtle tribute to her man through her Christmas decorations but, now, Ethan Slater has posted several photos of her on his Instagram Stories:
The “7 Rings” singer looks relaxed as she lounges on a couch, cuddling up to a little brown dog, in a chic black turtleneck and matching pants. Her hair is held back from her face in a bun with a white headband.
Ariana Grande smiled at the camera in a live photo, which she also reposted to her own Instagram:
Their Christmas together looks cozy and quiet, but the love between Ethan Slater, Ariana Grande and their friends is palpable, as the former coach of The Voice shared another photo snuggled up with a small group of buddies, including another Wicked co-star, Bowen Yang:
These cute pics seem to confirm reports that Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater’s relationship is still the real deal. Insiders said in November that they are supportive of each other’s careers and have a lot going on, but that hasn’t affected them as a couple.
The two have kept their relationship quiet after experiencing backlash over how things started between them. Ariana Grande reportedly separated from husband Dalton Gomez in February 2023 (though there have been questions about that timeline), with news of their impending divorce coming to light in July, after she was spotted at Wimbledon without her wedding ring.
Ethan Slater, meanwhile, filed for divorce from his high school sweetheart Lilly Jay Slater, who did not hold back her feelings on the “sudden public downfall” of her marriage.
Despite the controversy and relatively private relationship, Ethan Slater has shown his public support for Ariana Grande several times, and the two were even caught sharing a tender moment on the red carpet.
The man who spent four hours in the makeup chair to transform into the Tin Man for Wicked: For Good celebrated Ariana Grande’s Wicked Oscar nomination with a simple pic of her from behind, holding Glinda-pink balloons. He also had glowing words after her VMA win, saying “nobody deserves it more,” and was seen backstage at Saturday Night Live during her recent hosting gig.
It’s nice to get these small peeks into their relationship, and I love that they appear to have spent a quiet holiday together surrounded by their friends. You can see the couple in action in Wicked, which is streaming with an Amazon Prime Video subscription, and in Wicked: For Good in theaters.