World enews: Ariana Grande reportedly dating Wicked co-star Ethan Slater after Dalton Gomez split

Ariana Grande has reportedly moved on after her split with husband Dalton Gomez, with the singer and actor said to be dating her Wicked co-star, Ethan Slater.

Less than one week after it was revealed the “Thank U, Next” singer, 30, and her real estate broker husband, 28, were separated, People reported that Grande is now dating 31-year-old Broadway alum Ethan Slater.

“Ariana and Dalton separated in January,” a source told People. “She and Ethan recently began dating, and he is separated from his wife.”

Another source shared with Entertainment Tonight: “Ariana and Ethan recently started dating. They have a lot in common and have a lot of fun. They didn’t start dating until both were broken up with their significant others. Ariana and Dalton remain friends.”

Meanwhile, TMZ reported that Grande and Slater began dating while filming director Jon M Chu’s movie musical adaptation of Wicked in London. The two reportedly did not start dating until after Slater had separated from his wife, Lilly Jay. The former couple, who have been married since 2018, are parents to a baby boy.

Ariana Grande plays Glinda in the upcoming film, initially scheduled for release in November 2024, while Slater will play Boq, the love interest of Elphaba’s sister Nessarose. The actor previously starred in the SpongeBob SquarePants musical, for which he was nominated for a Tony Award in 2018.

Following reports, fans discovered that Grande had even liked many of Slater’s Instagram posts, including his recent Mother’s Day tribute to his wife, Lilly, and their wedding anniversary post. He has since made his Instagram account private.

(Instagram / Ethan Slater)

News of Grande’s alleged romance comes after it was revealed the Victorious star and her husband have been separated since January and are “heading toward divorce”. The two reportedly tried to reconcile their marriage “a few months back,” but have been “having problems” since before Grande began filming Wicked in London.

One source told People that Grande and Gomez “have been quietly and lovingly working on their friendship” since their separation.

“They came to the decision together. They were having problems before January, but they want to remain best friends,” a source told Page Six. “They’ve been really good friends throughout the entire process, and their friends and families have been trying to protect them.”

Grande was recently spotted without her wedding ring at the Wimbledon 2023 tennis championships over the weekend.

The “7 Rings” singer has also removed photographs of her and Gomez’s wedding from her Instagram amid reports that the real estate broker has been dating other people since their separation earlier this year. Sources claim Gomez was “taken aback” by Grande’s level of fame, according to TMZ, and would “sometimes question why they needed to go around town with security”.

Ariana Grande and Dalton Gomez began dating in January 2020 and announced their engagement 11 months later. They were married during an intimate ceremony at Grande’s home in Montecito, California, in May 2021. “It was tiny and intimate – less than 20 people. The room was so happy and full of love. The couple and both families couldn’t be happier,” a representative for the singer told People at the time.

Ethan Slater was previously in a relationship with high school classmate Lilly Jay since 2012, before tying the knot in November 2018. “My best friend. Four years married, 10 years together. And this is easily the best (and most *bizarre*) year yet,” he captioned an Instagram slideshow on their wedding anniversary, featuring photos of the former couple over the years.

In January this year, Slater revealed in an Instagram post that they had welcomed their first baby together. He shared a photo of a baby onesie that read, “Wicked Cute.”

“Super vague post, but we have a baby now,” he wrote, later confirming in a separate Mother’s Day post that they’d welcomed a son. However, it’s unclear when the couple separated.

Prior to her 2021 nuptials, Grande was previously engaged to Saturday Night Live alum Pete Davidson. However, they called off their engagement in October 2018 after just five months together.

The Independent has contacted representatives for Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater for comment.