Ariana Grande, Ethan Slater Secretly Split: Pop Star Faked Romance for 'Several Months' Ahead of Tour and New Album

Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater have quietly ended their relationship in the US several months ago, according to a source quoted by People, just as the Wicked co-stars move deeper into separate career cycles. The reported split, which has not been confirmed by either star, arrives while Grande is on the road with her Eternal Sunshine tour and preparing to release her new album, petal, on 31 July.

Ariana Grande And Ethan Slater Kept Things Private

The news came after the pair spent close to three years navigating a relationship that was unusually measured for two people living under a very bright spotlight. Grande, 32, and Slater, 34, were first publicly linked in July 2023 after meeting on the set of the two-part Wicked film adaptation, where she plays Glinda and he was cast as Boq.

Their romance unfolded alongside a long production and a heavy promotional calendar, which made the relationship feel both visible and oddly contained at the same time.

According to People's source, the breakup was not sudden but the result of 'lots of time and careful consideration,' with the insider saying the two 'are still friends and very supportive of one another' and have 'been quietly broken up for several months.'

That claim, repeated across several reports, has not been independently confirmed by either Grande or Slater, so it remains exactly what it is, a source-led account rather than a formal statement.

The public timeline makes the reported split feel a little more complicated. Grande and Slater did not go Instagram official until November 2024, and by then they were already deep in the Wicked machine, appearing around franchise events and the sequel's broader publicity push.

In other words, what fans saw was always only the polished edge of a relationship that appears to have been managed carefully from the start.

Ariana Grande Moves From Romance To Work

Grande's recent comments and posts suggest her attention has shifted sharply back to work. She has been promoting her Eternal Sunshine tour, which began on 6 June, while also gearing up for the release of petal on 31 July. That tour is her first major run in years, and the album announcement has already given her 2026 calendar a distinctly crowded look.

There were still small public gestures along the way. In March, Grande posted on Instagram Stories to congratulate Slater on the final performance of his off-Broadway show Marcel on the Train, writing, 'congratulations on a beautiful run of this very beautiful show,' followed by a butterfly emoji and heart outlines.

At the time, it read like a supportive note between partners. Read now, it looks a bit more awkward, though not necessarily false. Relationships end, people keep being polite, and social media remains the world's most over-interpreted stage.

Grande has previously spoken warmly about Slater in public, including in a 2024 Entertainment Tonight interview where she called him 'such an amazing person' and said, 'My heart is very happy.' That comment now sits in the archive as a snapshot of where things stood then, not a reliable map of where they stand now.

Ariana Grande Split Claims Still Unconfirmed

A second source told People that Grande is 'doing great' and has been focused on her tour and album, while Slater remains in his own professional lane.

Another report said the two continued to support one another's careers even after the romance cooled, which would fit the low-drama tone of the breakup reports so far. There is no joint statement, no public post spelling out the split and no direct confirmation from either camp.

What is clear is that the alleged end of the relationship does not come with the kind of tabloid fireball that usually follows celebrity breakups. Instead, this one feels controlled, almost reserved, which is a slightly mad contrast in a business built on oversharing.

If the reports are accurate, Grande and Slater have done what a lot of public couples attempt and few manage, step away without turning the whole thing into a spectacle. Whether that restraint lasts is another matter entirely.