Ariana Grande's wider team and friends were reportedly left blindsided by reports that she and Ethan Slater had broken up. The couple, who met on the set of Wicked, are said to have split amicably after three years together.
Ariana and Ethan, who played Glinda and Boq in both Wicked and its sequel Wicked: For Good, are said to have quietly parted ways but remained friends. With Ariana set to head back on stage for her Eternal Sunshine tour, all eyes are on the star and how she is coping after the split. However, pals were reportedly left in the dark until the news was made public.
Speaking to The Sun, a source explained that Ariana keeps her personal life private: "With Ariana, it's all on a need-to-know basis. She fully understands the interest in her life and openly channels her personal experiences into her music and art, but at the same time, she has no desire to give a running commentary about what goes on off-stage."
The source added that the split from Ethan was a "prime example" as her team "thought they were still together" until they read the news, which was originally reported by People magazine. The insider noted that the breakup was not caused by a "big moment" but rather by things running their course.
An insider told the US outlet that Ariana and Ethan were no longer together. They said: "It's amicable; they gave lots of time and careful consideration and decided to go their separate ways. They are still friends and very supportive of one another. They have been quietly broken up for several months."
The source revealed that Ariana was "doing great" post-relationship, focusing on her tour and the upcoming release of her eighth album, Petal.
Despite claims that the two broke up quietly over several months, it was previously reported that the relationship was tumultuous. Just before the release of Wicked: For Good in 2025, a source told the Daily Mail that Ariana and Ethan had been "on and off for most of the year" and that marriage had been discussed but was "no longer on the table."
Their relationship was first reported publicly in July 2023, just after production on Wicked finished. Their romance became a hot topic as both stars had recently separated from their spouses. Ariana split from Dalton Gomez in February 2023, with their divorce finalized in March 2024, while Ethan filed for divorce from his high school sweetheart Lilly Jay in July 2023, which was finalized that September.
At the time of their split, Lilly wrote an open letter about her divorce. She said: "No one gets married thinking they'll get divorced, in the same way we don't board a plane expecting to crash. But I really never thought I would get divorced. Especially not just after giving birth to my first child and especially not in the shadow of my husband's new relationship with a celebrity."
She added: "In this season of shock and mourning, over a year after the end of my marriage was made public, I deeply miss the life of invisibility I created for myself as a psychologist specialising in women's mental health. In the countless hours I spend rocking my son to sleep, pushing his stroller, marvelling at his sweaty little hands grasping a crayon, I work diligently on my private project of accepting the sudden public downfall of my marriage."
Lilly concluded: "Slowly but surely, I have come to believe that in the absence of the life I planned with my high-school sweetheart, a lifetime of sweetness is waiting for me and my child. As for me, days with my son are sunny. Days when I can't escape the promotion of a movie associated with the saddest days of my life are darker."
