Image Source: Getty/ Steve Granitz/ Walter McBride
Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater have been one of the most unexpected couples of 2023. In July, news broke that the "Wicked" co-stars were "full-on dating" months after meeting each other on set of the film. Prior to their coupling, Grande had been married to her husband, Dalton Gomez, since May 2021 after first getting together in early 2020. Meanwhile, Slater and his wife, Lilly Jay, tied the knot in November 2018 but had been together since 2012. They had also recently welcomed their first child together in 2022.
Although a lot of speculation has surrounded the timing of Grande and Slater's relationship, a source confirmed to People that the pair began dating after they had already separated from their partners. "Ariana and Dalton separated in January," the source told the publication. "She and Ethan recently began dating, and he is separated from his wife." However, Jay appeared to paint a different picture of her and Slater's breakup. After the Broadway star filed for divorce from Jay, she reportedly told Page Six that "[Ariana's] the story" and even called her "Not a girl's girl." (Reps for Grande and Slater did not respond to POPSUGAR's previous requests for comment.)
Scroll through the slideshow to see a complete timeline of Grande and Slater's relationship, from meeting on the set of "Wicked" to their latest public outing.
17 Dec., 2022: "Wicked" Begins Filming
Image Source: Getty/ Karwai Tang/ Bruce Glikas
On. 7 Dec., 2022, Variety reported that Slater had been cast as Boq in "Wicked." His character is a Munchkin man who is the love interest of Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo)'s younger sister Nessarose (Marissa Bode). However, he secretly has feelings for Grande's character, Glinda. The same day Slater's casting was announced, the film's director, Jon M. Chu, confirmed on Instagram that "Wicked" had begun production in London.
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226 March, 2023: Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater Attend Michelle Yeoh's Oscar Party
Image Source: Getty/ Dave Benett
After Michelle Yeoh won her first Oscar for Best Actress, her manager, David Unger, threw a party for her in London to celebrate the big achievement. The following day, the "Everything Everywhere All at Once" star shared photos from the festivities on Instagram, which confirmed that several of her "Wicked" castmates attended the event, including Grande and Slater. The pair were photographed sitting beside each other in a booth alongside Erivo.
At the time, fans didn't suspect that Grande and Slater were anything more than friends. However, the Daily Mail later reported on 3 Aug. that the stars had begun seeing each other months before their relationship went public.
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316 July, 2023: Ariana Grande Is Seen Without Her Wedding Ring
Image Source: Getty/ Karwai Tang
Fans first began to suspect that a breakup was on the horizon for Grande and Gomez when the "Positions" singer was photographed without her wedding ring at the Wimbledon men's singles final.
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417 July, 2023: Ariana Grande and Dalton Gomez's Split Goes Public
Image Source: Getty/ Steve Granitz
A day after their breakup rumours spread online, TMZ reported that Grande and Gomez were "heading toward divorce" following their quiet separation in January. Although the couple had tried to rekindle their romance "a few months back," they ultimately couldn't make their relationship work and broke up.
In a follow-up report, TMZ claimed Grande and Gomez began to drift apart once Covid restrictions were lifted. "[Gomez] was taken aback by Ariana's celebrity. He had not dealt with her schedule, the paparazzi, and the various opportunities that took her out of L.A," the outlet said. According to TMZ, the pair's marriage began to crumble even more once Grande moved to London to film "Wicked."
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520 July, 2023: Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater Reportedly Begin Dating
Image Source: Getty/ ANGELA WEISS/AFP/ Bruce Glikas
All hopes of Grande and Gomez getting back together went down the drain once TMZ reported that the singer had moved on with Slater, whom she apparently began dating while filming "Wicked." A source told ET that Grande and Slater struck up a romance after they had both become single. "Ariana and Ethan recently started dating. They have a lot in common and have a lot of fun," a source told the publication. "They didn't start dating until both were broken up with their significant others."
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626 July, 2023: Ethan Slater Reportedly Files For Divorce From Lilly Jay
Image Source: Getty/ Amy Sussman
According to legal documents obtained by TMZ, Slater officially filed for divorce from Jay on 26 July. The couple, who were high school sweethearts, began dating in 2012 and then tied the knot in 2018. After four years of marriage, Slater and Jay became first-time parents when they welcomed their son in 2022.
After news of their divorce went public, Jay told Page Six that she was focusing on being "a good mom" amid her split from Slater. She also seemingly shaded Grande by saying, "[Ariana's] the story, really. Not a girl's girl. My family is just collateral damage."
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718 Sept., 2023: Ariana Grande and Dalton Gomez File For Divorce
Image Source: Getty/ Kevin Mazur
After two years of marriage, Grande and Gomez officially filed for divorce from each other on 18 Sept., according to TMZ. The singer reportedly cited "irreconcilable differences" as the reason behind her and Gomez's breakup. Although their date of separation was listed as 20 Feb., Grande and Gomez apparently waited to divorce because they wanted to take their time "to iron out" the details. "They've been really caring and respectful of one another every step of this process," a source told TMZ.
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825 Sept., 2023: Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater Go to Disney Together
On 25 Sept., Grande and Slater stepped out in public for the first time as a couple. The celebrity gossip account Deuxmoi shared photos and videos of the pair walking around Disney World. Grande and Slater appeared to have their arms wrapped around each other as they made their way around the park. "They went with a big group of friends as well as her mum and brother," a source told People about the couple's outing. "[Grande and Slater are] really happy and really good for each other." The insider also said that Grande's friends all "love" Slater.
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95 Oct., 2023: Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater Reportedly Living in New York Together
According to an early October Us Weekly report, a source claimed, "Ethan informed his friends and soon-to-be ex-wife Lily Jay that he's living with Ariana full-time in New York." Slater is currently preparing to take on his next Broadway role as The Historian/Prince Herbert in the revival of "Monty Python's Spamalot", performances for which begin on 31 Oct.
