Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater kept their relationship low-key, and their breakup lower-key.
But fans think there was major drama behind their split, sharing conspiracy theories about how the breakup announcement was a cover-up.
“Off to the next married man?” one asked, while another wrote, “Like nobody saw that coming once the Wicked press tours were over and they had nothing else in common. His ex-wife gets the last laugh now.”
Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater kept their relationship low-key, and their breakup lower-key
Image credits: Rich Polk/Penske Media via Getty Images
Ariana Grande, 32, and Ethan Slater, 34, quietly parted ways several months ago. And sources spoke about the pop diva’s state of mind since their split.
Sources said they have remained friends since the breakup and have “nothing but respect and admiration for one another,” a source told Page Six this week.
“This wasn’t a decision they took lightly, but realized they were better off friends than in a committed relationship,” they added.
Image credits: Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images
Another source said things have been “amicable” between them, noting that the pair gave “lots of time and careful consideration” before deciding to part ways.
Ariana and Ethan were both married when they first met in 2022 on the set of Wicked, in which she played Glinda and he played Boq.
At the time, the Side to Side singer was married to her ex-husband, real estate developer Dalton Gomez. Their separation was announced in July 2023, after two years of marriage.
The former couple first met on the set of Wicked, when they were both still legally married to their previous spouses
Image credits: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
Ethan was married to his high school sweetheart, Lilly Jay, when they began filming for Wicked. They had welcomed their first child together in early 2022, and he officially filed for divorce on July 26.
By July 2023, Ariana and Ethan were first romantically linked, with sources claiming they had already parted ways with their spouses by then.
“Ariana and Dalton separated in January. She and Ethan recently began dating, and he is separated from his wife,” a source told People in July 2023.
At the time, Ethan’s ex-wife Lilly slammed the singer’s budding romance with him.
“[Ariana’s] the story, really. Not a girl’s girl,” Lilly told Page Six in July 2023. “My family is just collateral damage.”
Image credits: wickedmovie
Ariana addressed the “popular narrative” covered by tabloids and news outlets over her relationship with Ethan during a 2024 interview with Vanity Fair.
She said most people believed the “worst version,” as there couldn’t be a “less accurate depiction of a human being” than what was being said about Ethan.
“No one on this earth tries harder or spreads themselves thinner to be there for the people that he loves and cares about,” she said about Ethan. “There is no one on this earth with a better heart, and that is something that no bulls— tabloid can rewrite in real life.”
Ariana previously slammed the tabloids for what they were reporting about Ethan, saying there couldn’t be a “less accurate depiction of a human being”
Image credits: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
After sources revealed this week that the couple had been broken up for several months, netizens spun conspiracy theories, claiming the news was meant to be a “cover-up.”
“She just needed news about a man to cover up what people are saying about her health,” one said.
Another wrote, “I firmly believe she didn’t want to BE with him in the first place and was just f***ing for fun, but sh*t got discovered and she tried to make it a ‘love story’ to fix her public image.”
Many assumed the news came out to distract fans from focusing on her appearance.
In recent weeks, Ariana has been hit with relentless speculation about her weight, making many question the timing of the breakup announcement to the public.
“I definitely think she only announced it now bc people were mainly talking about her body and she wanted to give them something else to focus on,” one commenter said on Reddit.
Netizens claimed the timing of the breakup announcement to the public was a “cover-up” for something else
Image credits: imperfectfordre
“They’re only announcing the breakup now to get people to stop focusing on her ED (eating disord**),” one Redditor said. “Now people will be speculating on when they broke up and why. Classic PR tactic.”
“Yes! And that her gaunt appearance is due to this horrid breakup and not an ED, and blinds will be coming that Ethan was ab*sive,” wrote another. “And I bet NOW she’s finally in her healing era.”
Image credits: arianagrande
Image credits: arichanarmy
Others claimed the 7 Rings singer probably already has another man on her arm.
“I feel like Arianas team is pushing the breakup being ‘several months ago’ because she’s already got another man lined up quickly and they’re trying to make her look like she’s been single for a while,” one said.
“Based on her past, if she is reporting a breakup then she already has a new boo,” another claimed. “I would be absolutely shocked if she was genuinely single this time around.”
In light of their breakup, sources said Ariana is “doing great” and has been “incredibly focused on preparing for her tour.”
Insiders revealed the state of mind that Ariana has been in since the breakup
Her Eternal Sunshine tour kicked off on June 6 and will keep her on the road till early September. She “seemed very happy. It’s all been very positive vibes,” the source told People. “Being able to reconnect with fans after so many years made her very excited.”
More than six years have passed since she last toured. Hence, it’s been “all about work” for Ariana this spring.
“She’s been wanting to give her fans an amazing show and has put so much work into the show,” added the insider. “Kicking off her tour was very emotional for her.”
July 31 will also see the release of her new album Petal. About a week has passed since she released the first song from the album, titled Hate That I Made You Love Me.
Her appearance in the recent music video was the latest to spark a wave of comments about her weight, with one saying, “like bones SHOULD NOT be that visible….”
“Literally. I love her so much but this is not normal and her fans need to wake up instead of constantly d*ck-riding her,” said another.
The five-minute-long video sees the We Can’t Be Friends singer sharing the screen with actor Justin Long in a dark horror story.
After seemingly burying his lover, Justin is haunted by Ariana’s ghost, who follows him everywhere he goes.
The real twist in the Christian Breslauer-directed video is when the tables unexpectedly turn towards the end.
“Blew up his whole life for 3 years with her lol,” a hater snarked online
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