Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater 2026 Relationship | Ariana Grande Boyfriend
Ariana Grande & Ethan Slater — 2026 at a Glance
- Still together: Sources confirm the couple is together as of March 2026 — no breakup.
- Rough patch: A late-2025 strain nearly ended things, but they rebuilt over the holidays.
- How they met: On the London set of Wicked in late 2022 — she played Glinda, he played Boq.
- Together since: Publicly confirmed July 2023 — roughly 2 years and 8 months as of March 2026.
Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater are still together as of March 2026. The couple hit a rough patch late in 2025 — but sources confirm they never broke up. They worked through it, spent the holidays with Grande’s family, and insiders now describe them as being in a “much better place.”
Are Ariana and Ethan still together in 2026?
Yes. Grande and Slater are still a couple.
A source close to Grande’s family told the Daily Mail they hit turbulence in late 2025 but never officially split. “They never broke up, but it was questionable at a point if they were going to continue moving forward.”
The pair spent the 2025 holiday season together with Grande’s family. Slater supported her backstage at her Saturday Night Live hosting appearance in December 2025. They appeared together at the 97th Academy Awards in March 2026.
What caused the rough patch?
The Wicked: For Good press tour put real pressure on the relationship.
Grande and Cynthia Erivo led the campaign globally for months. Slater appeared only at the New York and London premieres. The months of separate public appearances fed a constant cycle of split speculation — and sources say that noise took a toll.
“It’s been hard for them with the way their relationship began,” an insider told the Daily Mail. “They’ve had a lot to work through.”
Why Slater skipped the 2026 Golden Globes
Grande attended the 2026 Golden Globes with her close friend Doug Middlebrook, not Slater and the internet ran with it.
Sources say it was a strategic call, not a sign of trouble. “Ariana put Ethan on the back burner while she was promoting the movie,” a source told The Mirror. “But they’re in a solid place now.”
The couple has deliberately pulled back from public life since late 2025. Insiders describe a quieter routine: board games, movies at home, no paparazzi. That privacy often gets misread as a breakup.
How Ariana Grande met her boyfriend?
Grande and Slater met on the London set of Wicked in late 2022 at Pinewood Studios.
Grande played Glinda. Slater played Boq. Director Jon M. Chu’s production ran for close to a year. The two became close friends on set long before any romance.
At the time, Grande was married to real estate agent Dalton Gomez. Slater was married to his childhood sweetheart, Lilly Jay.
How the relationship went public
Their romance became public in July 2023, days after Grande was spotted at Wimbledon without her wedding ring.
Court records show Grande had separated from Gomez in February 2023. Slater filed for divorce from Jay in July 2023, shortly after news of the relationship broke. Both denied any overlap with their marriages.
The backlash was immediate. Jay described her family as “collateral damage” in an essay for The Cut. Grande later addressed the coverage in Vanity Fair, calling tabloid depictions of Slater “inaccurate” and praising his “best heart.”
Full timeline at a glance
Late 2022 — Grande and Slater begin filming Wicked in London. Both are married. They grow close on set.
February 2023 — Grande and Gomez separate, per court records.
July 2023 — Their relationship goes public. Slater files for divorce from Jay the same month.
October 2023 — The couple is photographed at Disney World. Grande attends Slater’s Broadway show Spamalot in New York. Reports confirm they have moved in together in NYC.
March 2024 — Grande’s divorce from Gomez is finalized.
January 2025 — Slater posts about Grande’s Oscar nomination for Wicked on Instagram.
November 2025 — They appear together at the Wicked: For Good New York premiere.
December 2025 — Slater attends Grande’s SNL hosting appearance backstage.
March 2026 — They attend the 97th Oscars together. Sources describe the relationship as stable.
What the music tells us
Grande released Eternal Sunshine on Republic Records in March 2024. Several tracks point directly to Slater.
“Yes, And?” addresses critics of the romance head-on. “Hampstead” references leaving her heart at a London pub — a nod to their Wicked filming days in the UK. Slater has spoken about “Imperfect For You,” which fans widely believe is written for him, saying simply: “I love that song.”
Who is Ethan Slater?
Ethan Slater is a 33-year-old American actor and singer from New York.
He received a Tony Award nomination for originating the title role in SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical. In Wicked, he plays Boq, a Munchkin student drawn to Glinda. He and Grande share a theatre background — sources say it forms a core part of their bond.
Grande’s relationship history
Grande’s dating history has produced some of the most commercially successful pop of the past decade. “Thank U, Next,” released on Republic Records in 2018, name-checked her most significant exes and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Here is the full record, chronologically.
Graham Phillips (2008–2011) — Her first public relationship. They met as teenagers in the Broadway musical 13.
Jai Brooks (2012–2014) — An on-and-off relationship with the Australian YouTuber. It ended publicly and messily.
Big Sean (2014–2015) — Nine months together following several collaborations. Conflicting tour schedules ended it.
Mac Miller (2016–2018) — One of the defining relationships of her life. Miller died on September 7, 2018, from an accidental drug overdose. Grande has honored his memory consistently in the years since. See the Ariana Grande biography for full context.
Pete Davidson (2018) — A five-month engagement ended in October 2018. Grande processed the period across the Thank U, Next album.
Dalton Gomez (2020–2023) — Grande married the luxury real estate agent in May 2021. They separated in February 2023. Divorce finalised in March 2024.
Ethan Slater (2023–present) — Current partner, as of March 2026.
FAQ
Are Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater still together?
Yes. Sources confirm they are still a couple as of March 2026, following a rough patch they worked through in late 2025.
Did they break up?
No. A source told the Daily Mail they never officially split, though the future briefly felt uncertain.
How long have they been together?
Roughly two years and eight months. Their relationship was publicly confirmed in July 2023.
How did they meet?
On the London set of Wicked in late 2022. Grande played Glinda; Slater played Boq, under director Jon M. Chu.
Are they engaged?
No official engagement has been announced as of March 2026.