Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater seemed to have hinted that they were breaking up months before the news broke.
On Monday, Page Six confirmed that the couple had quietly separated after three years of dating.
“Ariana and Ethan broke up a few months ago, but have remained friends ever since and have nothing but respect and admiration for each other,” a source said. “This was not a decision they made lightly, but they realized that being friends is better than a committed relationship.
“Ariana is truly happy and focused on her next chapter with the Eternal Sunshine tour and the upcoming release of her album Petal,” the source added.
The pop star and Broadway actor met on the set of “Wicked” in 2022. At the time, the two were married to different people.
The ‘Side to Side’ hitmaker’s separation from Gomez was made public in July 2023, the same month Slater filed for divorce from his high school sweetheart Lily Jay.
Jay, who gave birth to the ex-couple’s first child in early 2022, later accused Grande of being “not a girl’s girl” in an exclusive interview with Page Six in 2023, claiming she and her newborn were “collateral damage.”
The following year, Grande defended the relationship in the song “Yes, And?” The lyrics read, “Your business is yours and mine is mine. Why do you care so much whose car I get into?”
Keep scrolling to see how the pair dropped clues about their breakup.
Keeping their distance at ‘Wicked: For Good’ premiere
The co-stars distanced themselves from each other while attending multiple premieres of Wicked: For Good in late 2025.
Grande and Slater did not pose together on red carpets in New York, Paris, London, or Singapore, despite posing together for 2024’s Wicked: Part 1.
Notably, the “Victory” alum was absent from the premiere in Sao Paulo due to aircraft safety issues.
When the pair teamed up with their castmates for some shots, they either stood apart or on completely opposite sides of the group.
Avoid questions about love
During coverage of the musical, both Grande and the Broadway star avoided answering questions about their relationship, only adding fuel to the rampant breakup speculation online.
Notably, director Slater sidestepped Today host Craig Melvin’s question in November 2025 about how he “works with[his]girlfriend every day,” instead praising “the entire cast” of the film as “incredible.”
He called Grande “amazing” and Cynthia Erivo “amazing” during the interview, adding, “I’m so proud of everyone I’ve had the pleasure of working with. We’re like family.”
Send mixed signals?
Ever since they spotted Slater on an Instagram carousel celebrating Grande’s friend Elizabeth Gillies’ Grammy-winning performance on “Saturday Night Live” in December 2025, eagle-eyed fans believed the pair might still be going strong.
Additionally, Slater shared photos from a “super fun” vacation with Grande that same month.
However, they have not been photographed together since then.
Absent from “Eternal Sunshine” tour
Slater was absent from the opening show of Grande’s Eternal Sunshine tour at California’s Oakland Arena over the weekend, but he showed his support with a Like on Instagram.
During the show, Grande poked fun at her failed marriage to Gomez, singing her 2019 hit “Thank U Next” and singing famous songs about her ex-boyfriends, including Pete Davidson, Big Sean and the late Mac Miller.
The lyrics include, “One day I’ll walk down the aisle / Holding your mom’s hand… I want to do it just once, but it’s so bad / Make sure you do it all the way.”
After singing “I Just Want to Do It Once, I Really Bad,” Grande playfully held up two fingers and laughed on Saturday, seemingly referring to her openness to remarrying after her first marriage didn’t work out.
