Ariana Grande's Boyfriend, Ethan Slater, Addresses Relationship for the First Time: 'It Was an Amazing Year'

Ariana Grande's much-publicized relationship with Ethan Slater has been the subject of headlines. Now, Slater is speaking out for the first time on it.

The pair met while filming the upcoming Wicked movie and Slater had nothing but praises to sing for Grande and their time together.

"Obviously, it was a really super big year and I think there was something that was really difficult about things in your private life being commented on and looked at by the public," he told GQ.

"There were a lot of big changes in private lives that were really happening, so it's really hard to see people who don't know anything about what's happening commenting on it and speculating, and then getting things wrong about the people you love. So just to address that part of it, that feels really hard," Slater added.

Despite the backlash that the couple has had since getting together, Slater went on to say that their time spent together has been an "amazing year."

"But, of course, it was an amazing year and a really beautiful thing, and I'm just really excited. I'm just really, really proud of Ari and the work she's done on this. She's poured herself into it. I'm really proud that I got to be there for that part of it, and I'm really excited to be there for this next step of it when the world gets to see the amazing thing that she did," Slater shared.

He spoke about Grande's track "Imperfect for You" from her Eternal Sunshine album that many believe is to be about Slater.

"She's such an amazing performer, and I think everyone knows how good she is [as] a recording artist and all that—but I'm just really blown away by the songwriting," he tells me. "I love that song," Slater said.

Both Grande and Slater got together in a wave of controversy. In July 2023, Slater filed for divorce from his long-time love, Lilly Jay. Days later, TMZ reported that he and Grande were now an item, after she also recently split from her ex-husband, Dalton Gomez. Fans scrutinized the timeline of their relationships and when they ended, causing swift and brutal backlash.

However, both Grande and Slater have remained mostly silent on their relationship since. Grande did seemingly reference the backlash on her song "Yes, and?" when she sang, "Why do you care so much whose d**k I ride?"

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Ariana Grande, Ethan Slater