Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater are still going strong and doing their best to keep their relationship in the public eye, multiple sources tell PEOPLE.
“Even though this whole situation is overblown, it’s a lot different than what’s been portrayed in the public eye,” says a friend of the couple who met on the set of the upcoming Wicked film adaptation.
“They’re just trying to manage their new relationship privately,” the source added.
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“People tried to question the point in time,” notes a close family friend of the relationship between the pop star, 30, and the Tony nominee, 31, who were friends and pals before they started dating.
Their romantic relationship began after Grande’s split from her husband Dalton Gomez and Slater’s split from his wife Lilly Jay. “It’s true that Ariana and Ethan only started seeing each other after both parties separated, respectfully,” the close family friend continues.
An additional source close to the situation tells PEOPLE of Grande and Slater, “They’re doing their best to balance being in the public eye with wanting to respect all parties involved.”
Ethan Slater and Ariana Grande.
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Slater’s focus remains on his young son, who he and Jay welcomed in August 2022, another friend tells PEOPLE, “Ethan’s priority will always be co-parenting his son.”
In January, Grande split from luxury real estate agent Gomez, 28, whom she married in May 2021, a source confirmed to PEOPLE shortly after the Grammy winner’s new relationship went public earlier this summer.
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After news of Grande and Gomez’s split broke, a source told PEOPLE that the decision was amicable. The insider explained that the marriage “didn’t work out” after the Grammy winner left for the shoot Wicked in London and became long-distance, but added: “Ari has only good things to say about Dalton. During their marriage he was her number one fan.”
Grande is set to play Glinda, while Slater will play Boq in the film adaptation of Jon M. Chu’s hit Broadway musical Wicked. The film began filming in the UK in 2022 with plans for a November 2024 release, although it remains unclear whether the SAG-AFTRA strike will affect its release.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education