Ariana Grande’s Friends ‘Love’ Ethan Slater as Romance Heats Up (Source)
Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater took their relationship to the Happiest Place on Earth — a fitting date night destination since a source exclusively tells Us Weekly they're both thrilled about their romance.
"They went [to Disneyland] with a big group of friends including her mom and brother and are really happy," the insider tells Us.
Grande, 30, was spotted at the theme park on Friday, September 22, with Slater, 31, and several of their pals. "All of her friends love him," the source says, adding that the pair are "really good for each other.”
Us Weekly confirmed this summer that Grande and Slater started dating while working on the highly anticipated Wicked movies. Grande will star as Galinda/Glinda in the two-part adaptation of the Broadway hit, while Slater is set to play munchkin Boq.
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Their romance came as their respective marriages ended. “Ariana and Ethan are dating; however things are fairly new. Ariana and Dalton [Gomez] split in January, and Ethan is separated from his wife [Lilly Jay], ” a source claimed to Us in July. “Ariana and Ethan have only recently begun seeing each other but they have a lot of fun together and are enjoying each other’s company.”
Grande and Gomez, 28, married in 2021 after dating for one year. Grande officially filed for divorce on September 18, citing "irreconcilable differences." Her estranged husband filed his response shortly after.
Slater, for his part, filed for divorce from Jay on July 26 after five years of marriage after news broke he was dating Grande. They share a son, who was born in 2022.
Jay slammed the new romance in July, hinting that there is more to the situation. “[Ariana’s] the story really. Not a girl’s girl. My family is just collateral damage,” Jay told Page Six at the time. “The story is her and Dalton.” She added that her focus is coparenting with Slater and being “a good mom.” (A second told Us at the time that Slater was “blindsided,” but sources close to Grande denied that was the case.)
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A fourth insider told Us earlier this month that both Grande and Slater “were separated” from their respective spouses “when they started dating,” noting that the duo were “trying to be as respectful as possible” about their romance.
However, Grande has been advised to “take things slower," a separate source told Us in August. “She’s very aware of how she’s perceived by her fans, and she’s trying to be mature. [But] if it were up to her, she’d be seen with him tomorrow,” the insider added.
The two took a subtle step on social media in early September when Slater returned to Instagram to promote his upcoming role in Broadway's Spamalot revival and Grande dropped a "like" on the post.
Reporting by Travis Cronin
