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A complete timeline of Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater's relationship

Mar 9, 2024, 06:17 IST
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Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater.David Crotty/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images; Bruce Glikas/WireImage
  • Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater reportedly began dating on the "Wicked" movie set.
  • Though neither has publicly confirmed their relationship, both split from their spouses in 2023.
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Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater seem to be going strong, several months after news of their relationship made headlines.

The "Thank U, Next" singer, 30, and Broadway star, 31, were both married to other people when they met on the set of "Wicked." One year later, the two have become a "full-on couple," according to sources. Some even claim they're already living together in New York City.

Keep reading for a complete timeline of their friendship-turned-romance.

December 2022: Grande begins filming the 'Wicked' movie

Back in 2021, Grande and Cynthia Erivo were cast in the big-screen "Wicked" adaptation as Glinda the Good Witch and Elphaba the Wicked Witch, respectively.

On December 7, 2022, director Jon M. Chu confirmed that filming was underway.

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"My daughter wrote a note and drew a picture to commemorate the first day of shooting," he wrote on his Instagram story. Grande also reshared the photo, adding, "My heart."

That same day, Variety announced Slater's addition to the cast as Boq, the love interest of Elphaba's younger sister, Nessarose.

At that point, Slater was best known for his Tony-nominated role in "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical."

January 2023: Grande reportedly separates from her husband, Dalton Gomez

According to reports from TMZ and People, Grande and Gomez broke up shortly after she went to England to film "Wicked."

TMZ claimed their relationship suffered after pandemic restrictions were lifted because Gomez was "taken aback" by his wife's fame. He was reportedly displeased with the constant presence of paparazzi and Grande's need for security.

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March 2023: Grande and Slater are photographed together

Michelle Yeoh posted this photo on March 27, 2023.@michelleyeoh_official/Instagram

The cast of "Wicked" shared several photos online while celebrating Michelle Yeoh's Oscar win in London.

One photo, posted by Yeoh herself, shows Grande sitting between Erivo and Slater.

April 3, 2023: Grande shares a tribute to her 'Wicked' costars

Grande announced that filming "Wicked" was halfway done with a sentimental post on Instagram.

"i am so grateful, i don't know what to do or say… to be here in Oz where everyday is a life changing one… to be feeling, learning and growing so much at such a disarming speed," she wrote in the caption. "to be transforming and healing parts of me that i never knew needed it. or maybe did."

Grande also wished a "happy halfway" to her crew and costars, whom she described as "my fellow Ozians."

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"my heart will be stuck here forever," she added.

May 15, 2023: Grande shares a photo with Gomez to celebrate their second wedding anniversary

In a sweet Instagram story, Grande shared a photo of her and Gomez kissing at their wedding. She wrote that they'd been together for over three years, adding, "I love him so."

Later that month, Grande deleted thousands of posts from her Instagram grid.

July 17, 2023: News breaks that Grande and Gomez are 'heading for divorce'

Rumors were already swirling about Grande's split from Gomez when she attended a Wimbledon tennis match without her wedding ring.

The following day, TMZ published a report that she and Gomez had been separated for several months and were "heading for divorce," citing anonymous sources close to the couple.

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Another source confirmed the news to People, claiming that Grande and Gomez "have been quietly and lovingly working on their friendship."

July 20, 2023: Grande and Slater's new relationship makes headlines

Ethan Slater is best known for playing SpongeBob SquarePants on Broadway.Kevin Mazur/Jenny Anderson/Getty Images

Once again, TMZ broke the news that Grande and Slater were a couple. According to the tabloid, they began dating while filming "Wicked."

Slater had been married to his high-school sweetheart, Lilly Jay, since 2018. The couple welcomed a son in August 2022; Slater shared a Mother's Day tribute on May 14, 2023, describing Jay as "the most loving caring and wonderful mom/person in the world." (Grande liked the post.)

When his relationship with Grande made headlines, neither Slater nor Jay had yet announced their separation. Later that day, People confirmed that Slater and Jay had "gone their separate ways," but did not provide a timeline for their split.

July 26, 2023: Slater files for divorce from Jay

According to legal documents obtained by TMZ, Slater filed for divorce from Jay in New York.

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The specific reason Slater listed for the split has not been made public.

July 27, 2023: Slater's estranged wife says Grande is 'not a girl's girl'

Lily Jay Slater and Ethan Slater in 2017.Jenny Anderson/Getty Images for Nickelodeon

One day after Slater filed for divorce, Jay gave a short interview to Page Six's Francesca Bacardi, in which she described Grande as "not a girl's girl."

"My family is just collateral damage," Jay told Bacardi, adding, "The story is her and Dalton."

Jay also said she's focused on being a "good mom" to her 1-year-old son.

According to an anonymous source, Slater and Jay had been separated for two months before he pursued a relationship with Grande.

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"Ethan is trying to take the high road and hopes he can resolve this situation for the sake of their child," the source told Page Six.

September 18, 2023: Grande and Gomez simultaneously file for divorce

Grande cited "irreconcilable differences" in her official divorce filing, according to TMZ. Gomez quickly followed suit with his own filing.

"They've been really caring and respectful of one another every step of this process," a source told the outlet.

According to court documents, the date of their separation was listed as February 20, 2023.

Their divorce was finalized just three weeks after filing on October 6, 2023, according to multiple outlets. In accordance with the couple's prenuptial agreement, Gomez reportedly received $1,250,000 from Grande.

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Meanwhile, a source told People that Grande is trying to keep her relationship with Slater out of the spotlight.

"While this entire situation has been blown out of proportion, it's much different than what has been portrayed in public," said a friend of the couple. "They are just trying to navigate their new relationship in private."

September 29, 2023: Grande and Slater enjoys a night together at Disney World

Grande and Slater were spotted walking through Disney World and linking arms in their first public outing.

"They went with a big group of friends as well her mom and brother," a source told People, adding, "All of her friends love him."

October 31, 2023: Grande is spotted cheering for the cast of Broadway's 'Spamalot,' which includes Slater

Ethan Slater stars in Broadway's "Spamalot."CJ Rivera/Invision/AP

Grande was in the audience for the first preview performance of "Spamalot," a Monty Python-inspired musical. She can be seen cheering for the cast in a video that made the rounds on social media.

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Fans assume she was primarily there to support Slater, who plays The Historian and Prince Herbert in the production.

"She has seen it during tech rehearsals," an anonymous attendee told People. "She was so sweet last night, taking pictures with fans and gushing about how much she was enjoying the performances. She's a theater kid at her core, so you see she really feels at peace being around Broadway."

Grande, who's currently working on the follow-up to her sixth album "Positions," got her start on Broadway as a teen in "13: The Musical."

She attended the "Spamalot" preview with her former "13" and "Victorious" costar, Liz Gillies, who shared a selfie with Grande on her Instagram story.

"Had the BEST time at @spamalotbway last night. Run, don't walk!" Gillies wrote in the caption. Grande reshared the photo on her own story.

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November 12, 2023: The couple enjoys a theatrical date night

Grande and Slater were spotted together at the James Earl Jones Theater, catching a performance of "Gutenberg! The Musical!" on Broadway.

The couple also spent some time backstage with the production's costars, Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells. The former "Girls" actor later shared a photo of the foursome on Instagram.

"We had some big fun in Schlimmer yesterday! Spamalot's Ethan Slater AND Michael Urie! Two great guys to eat dreams with," Rannells wrote in the caption. "Plus Ariana Grande! It was a perfect Sunday."

November 16, 2023: Grande attends the opening night of 'Spamalot'

Ariana Grande in New York City on November 16, 2023.DAMEBK/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

Once again, Grande was spotted in the crowd at the St. James Theatre for the official opening night of "Spamalot."

She also brought her mother, Joan Grande, brother-in-law, Hale Grande, and a few friends along for the occasion (including Doug Middlebrook of "In My Head" fame).

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Grande later shared a slideshow of photos from the evening, including a T-shirt that reads, "Happy Opening Of Broadway Show."

In his own slideshow, Slater included a photo of himself wearing the same shirt.

December 22, 2023: Grande includes an apparent nod to Slater in her holiday decor

Ariana Grande shared these photos on December 22, 2023.@arianagrande/Instagram

In an Instagram slideshow that she captioned with a heart, Grande included a photo of a Spam tree ornament.

Many fans think the can of processed pork is a shoutout to Slater's role in "Spamalot."

December 23, 2023: The couple are seen dining with Grande's father, Ed Butera, in New York City

Grande, Slater, and Butera had dinner "at her family's favorite Italian restaurant" in Manhattan, according to Page Six.

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They were photographed leaving the restaurant before heading to the Theater District, where Grande caught another performance of "Spamalot."

"They love to support each other in their work," an anonymous source told the outlet. "When she's done with work, she loves going to the theater when she can." (This exact quote was also cited by People.)

December 28, 2023: TMZ reports that Grande and Slater are living together

According to sources close to the couple, Grande and Slater are currently living together in New York City. One source also said they "vibe together."

"We're told each maintains a separate residence, but they are together almost all of the time," TMZ wrote.

March 8, 2024: Grande releases her album 'Eternal Sunshine,' which may contain references to her new boyfriend

Amid several breakup songs on Grande's seventh album, she sings about finding new love.

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"I found a good boy and he's on my side / You're just my eternal sunshine," she sings in the title track, drawing a distinction between her ex and her new man. (Although Grande hasn't named any muses for "Eternal Sunshine," the information we have about her love life would indicate these are Gomez and Slater, respectively.)

"Supernatural," "Imperfect For You," and "Ordinary Things" also allude to a recently sparked romance ("Nothing else felt this way inside me," "We crashed and we burned / Now I just can't go where you don't go," "There's never gonna be an ordinary thing as long as I'm with you").

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