Curious about the current status of Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater’s relationship? The couple’s dynamic has been the subject of much discussion.

Notably, Slater was missing from the Golden Globes on Sunday, an event where Grande appeared alongside a different companion. She graced the red carpet with her longtime friend, Doug Middlebrook, showcasing a new brunette hairstyle.

Despite the buzz and speculation that have trailed them for months, particularly during the press tour for “Wicked: For Good,” sources indicate that Grande and Slater have reached a stable point in their relationship.

An insider shared with the Daily Mail, “Ariana shifted her focus from Ethan while promoting the movie, but they have found their stride again. They enjoy a comfortable, homely dynamic, akin to an old married couple. Their preference is to spend time together doing low-key activities like playing board games or binge-watching shows rather than attending extravagant events.”

During the release of “Wicked: For Good,” the much-anticipated sequel of the beloved musical adaptation that premiered last November, Grande, along with co-star Cynthia Erivo, embarked on a whirlwind promotional tour. The tour spanned across continents, taking them from Asia and back, drawing significant attention along the way.

When Wicked: For Good, the second installment of the movie adaptation of the hit musical, hit theaters in November, Grande and her lead co-star Cynthia Erivo jetted off around the world for weeks-long, high-powered promotional tour that took them to Asia and back.

Meanwhile, Slater – who portrays Boq in the film, a much smaller part – took more of a backseat, appearing at the New York and London premieres in and attending only a single Q&A with the cast.

So, are Ariana Grandeand Ethan Slaterstill together or not? (Pictured in January 2025)

Pictured in March 2025: The couple ‘do simple things like play board games or binge watch shows rather than go out to fancy places,’ a source said

Grande went to Sunday night’s Golden Globes with longtime bestie Doug Middlebrook

That same month, Slater, 33, awkwardly dodged a question about his relationship with Grande while appearing on the Today show.

When asked about the experience of ‘working with your girlfriend everyday,’ Slater sidestepped the subject and instead spoke in vague terms about how ‘incredible’ the ‘entire cast’ was.

Slater did call Grande, 32, ‘brilliant’ but also hailed Erivo as ‘remarkable,’ rhapsodizing that seeing them both act ‘from such a high level up close’ was a ‘pretty special’ experience. 

It was also noted by some that he and Grande managed to avoid having any pictures taken together as a twosome during the film’s promotional tour, instead only ever posing en masse with their Wicked castmates.

According to our inside source, however, Slater understood Grande had an important job in promoting Wicked: For Good alongside Erivo – and didn’t want to distract from that, or become the headline himself.

‘Ethan knew the Ariana and Cynthia thing was all about marketing the movie. Ariana needed to be front and center with Cynthia. The two of them were everywhere and Ethan was nowhere to be seen,’ the insider said.

‘Although he’s in the movie, he’s not a selling tool like Ariana and Cynthia. He’s a pro and understands the business. That’s why he was OK with it.’

And though the couple kept their public interactions to a minimum, that’s not to say the Broadway star Slater didn’t show his support for Grande behind the scenes.

Grande and Slater avoided taking any pictures together as a couple during promotion for Wicked, instead only ever posing with the rest of their castmates (seen in November 2025)

Last month, Slater was backstage at Saturday Night Live to watch Grande host the holiday episode that bid farewell to their other co-star, Bowen Yang – who had worked at the iconic sketch show for seven years.

The couple have also now started to subtly post photos of each other to their respective Instagram accounts, giving fans a glimpse at their notoriously private relationship.

The pair took to social media on Boxing Day to share photos of an intimate gathering with friends, seemingly confirming that they spent time together during the holiday season.

Slater shared two short clips of the pop star posing with her dog Toulouse and smiling adoringly at him behind the camera, while Grande reposted the images to her own page with the addition of pink heart stickers.

The co-stars famously met in late 2022, when filming began in the UK for the two-part movie musical directed by John M. Chu.

At the time, however, both Slater and Grande were in relationships with their respective spouses.

Grande separated from her then-husband Dalton Gomez in February 2023 after two years of marriage, according to court documents. Meanwhile, Slater filed for divorce from his ex-wife Lilly Jay in July 2023, just days after news broke of his relationship with Grande.

Slater and Jay also share a three-year-old son.

Pictured in 2018: Slater was previously married to high school sweetheart Lilly Jay. He filed for divorce in July 2023

News of Grande and Slater’s relationship also made headlines in July 2023, just days before he filed for divorce from Jay

Grande and Slater were then plunged into scandal as fans accused the co-stars of sparking a relationship while they were both married, though the pop star denied the cheating allegations in a 2024 interview with Vanity Fair.

‘There couldn’t be a less accurate depiction of a human being than the one that the tabloids spread about him,’ Grande said about her boyfriend at the time.

‘No one on this earth tries harder or spreads themselves thinner to be there for the people that he loves and cares about. There is no one on this earth with a better heart, and that is something that no bullshit tabloid can rewrite in real life.’

While Grande and Slater’s relationship may be heating up, it appears that the singer’s once-close bond with her Wicked co-star Erivo has weakened

Between emotional joint interviews and close displays of affection on the red carpet, Grande and Erivo seemed nearly inseparable throughout filming and promotion for both Wicked films.

But now, multiple sources have told the Daily Mail that the co-stars are focused on following their own paths after all the Wicked mania.

‘Ariana and Cynthia definitely forged a bond while filming both Wicked and the sequel, but the truth is they never hung out when the cameras weren’t around,’ the first source continued.

‘They were never best friends out of the spotlight. Their relationship was purely professional. Right now they’re moving in totally different directions career wise.’

A second source shared that Erivo and Grande ‘needed space’ from each other after Wicked: For Good ended, but it is ‘still all love’ between them

However, a second insider maintained that Grande and Erivo continue to be friends and they still have love for each other.

‘They’re not talking as much because they aren’t promoting the film together every day but that’s all,’ the second source told the Daily Mail.

‘When they were done promoting, they needed space. It was a lot. Intense. Nothing bad but they were together for weeks, so now it’s like, “Let’s hang with other friends.” It’s not something that has been spoken, it has just been organic. It’s not dramatic. It’s still all love.’

It may come as a relief for fans that Erivo and Grande continue to be friends post-Wicked, considering the duo went so far as to joke about being ‘secretly married’ to each other.

Erivo even swooped in to protect Grande last November, when she was ambushed by a serial harasser on the red carpet in Singapore. 

She jumped in to pull Grande away from her attacker before their slow-to-the-mark bodyguards were able to leap into action.

Indeed, the blockbuster Wicked films have brought about some memorable moments and forged close relationships within the cast. 

Luckily for fans, there will likely be even more interactions to dissect between Grande, Slater and Erivo as awards season approaches.

The Daily Mail has contacted representatives for Grande, Slater and Erivo for comment.