Being a celebrity is definitely a double-edged sword, as the price of fame can sometimes make one's personal life into a very public matter. Ariana Grande likely knows this all too well, as her romantic life has made plenty of headlines over the years. Most recently Grande's relationship with Wicked co-star Ethan Slater has gone viral, especially after his ex came out in the press about it. And now we know how Grande’s romance Slater reportedly differs from her past relationships.
The Wicked cast list is star-studded, and filming the two movies back to back seemingly made way for a showmance between Ethan Slater and the "Seven Rings" singer. What we know about Wicked is limited, but information is consistently trickling out about this couple. An anonymous insider spoke to Us Weekly about what's going on behind the scenes, offering:
[Ariana] is her authentic self with Ethan. It’s not superficial, but more intellectual and emotional.
There you have it. According to this source, it sounds like Grande and Slater have a deep connection. While she's been part of several high profile relationships since becoming a public figure (including her divorce from Dalton Gomez), it sounds like things are especially healthy for her this time around.
The couple's relationship went viral partly because Slater's ex took to social media, claiming that he had a an affair and left her and their young child. But apparently the chatter online hasn't negatively affected the couple, or how their loved ones see them. As the same insider told Us Weekly:
Her family trusts [Ethan] because he’s caring and a gentleman.
There you have it. While the discourse online might be raging on about the pair, it seems like Grande's loved ones trust Slater. We'll just have to wait and see how loud the chatter gets as the first Wicked movie gets closer to its release in theaters in November.
It's currently unclear how Grande and Slater's somewhat infamous relationship will impact the performance of their upcoming movie musical. Slater was noticeably missing from Wicked's trailers, which could be the studio trying to shield itself from going viral for the wrong reasons.
On the other hand, they say that any publicity is good publicity. There are generations of Wicked fans who will be heading to theaters when the movie is released, regardless of whatever personal drama is happening within the cast. What's more, the movie is one half of a musical Barbenheimer, as it's released at the same time as Disney's Moana 2. Whether this hurts or helps the pair of movies remains to be seen until this fall.
The first Wicked movie is hitting theaters on November 27th. In the meantime, check out the 2025 movie release dates to plan your trips to the theater next year.
