The whirlwind romance between global pop icon Ariana Grande and her Wicked co-star Ethan Slater has abruptly ended, sending shockwaves through their fanbase and confirming the ominous predictions of the viral 'rose curse' TikTok trend.
Sources close to the pair confirm the relationship has cooled off almost as quickly as it began, with the couple deciding to go their separate ways. The split comes amidst a maelstrom of public scrutiny and a telling absence from each other's lives at recent high-profile events.
The Tell-Tale Signs: A VMA No-Show & Social Media Silence
The first red flag emerged at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards. Grande, who was nominated for two awards, attended the event without Slater by her side. Instead, she was accompanied by her mother, Joan Grande. This conspicuous absence was compounded by a complete lack of social media interaction between the two, a stark contrast to the initial blush of their relationship.
"They were barely speaking towards the end," an insider disclosed. "The intensity that defined the start of their relationship simply fizzled out. It became clear it wasn't built to last."
The Infamous 'Rose Curse' Strikes Again
Adding a layer of modern-day superstition to the split, fans are pointing to the 'rose curse' – a TikTok theory that claims couples who pose with a specific type of rose emoji (🌹) in their social media bios are doomed to break up.
The theory gained traction when eagle-eyed followers noticed both Grande and Slater had briefly featured the rose emoji in their Instagram bios shortly after going public with their relationship. Their subsequent split has now become the latest piece of evidence supporters of the curse use to prove its validity.
A Romance Forged in Controversy
The relationship first ignited headlines in July 2023 when news broke that the two had grown close on the set of the upcoming Wicked film adaptation. The romance was immediately controversial, as it emerged amidst the breakdown of both of their marriages.
Slater filed for divorce from his high school sweetheart and mother of his child, Lilly Jay, while Grande separated from her husband of two years, real estate agent Dalton Gomez. The timing led to a significant public backlash, with Grande being labelled a 'homewrecker' by some critics.
Despite the rocky start, the couple attempted to portray a united front, even making their first public appearance together at the opening night of Spamalot in November 2023. However, the foundation proved unstable, ultimately unable to withstand the pressure of public opinion and the challenges of a relationship born from personal upheaval.
Representatives for both Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater have declined to comment on the split.
