The European premiere of Wicked: For Good in London became the latest stage for speculation about Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater's relationship status, as the co-stars maintained a noticeable distance throughout the event.
Keeping Their Distance
While both actors attended the highly anticipated London premiere alongside fellow cast members including Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey and Jeff Goldblum, they remained conspicuously separate throughout the evening. The pair avoided posing for any photographs together aside from mandatory full cast shots, and maintained significant physical distance during the event.
Further fuelling the speculation, Ethan was notably absent when Ariana attended a post-premiere dinner in Mayfair with her family. This comes after the couple haven't been photographed together since April, with their last joint social media post dating back to January.
A Complicated Timeline
The relationship between the Wicked co-stars has been under intense scrutiny since news broke in 2023 that they had begun dating. Both were exiting long-term relationships at the time - Ariana had recently divorced husband Dalton Gomez, while Ethan's marriage to high school sweetheart Lilly Jay had broken down.
The timing sparked controversy, with Ethan's ex-wife Lilly Jay delivering a scathing statement to Page Six: "[Ariana's] the story really. Not a girl's girl. My family is just collateral damage." She added that she was focused on "rebuilding a life for our son."
Both actors have defended their relationship against allegations of infidelity. In a Vanity Fair interview, Ariana hit back at what she called "the negativity that was birthed by disreputable tabloids," while praising Ethan as someone who "tries harder or spreads themselves thinner to be there for the people that he loves."
On-Again, Off-Again Rumours
Despite their recent distance, there have been signs of ongoing connection between the pair. Just days before the London premiere, Ethan shared photos of Ariana performing during the Wicked: One Wonderful Night special event on his social media.
However, a source recently claimed the couple have been "on and off for most of this year," revealing that Ethan chose not to attend the MTV VMAs with Ariana following an argument, though they reportedly "made up soon after."
The relationship timeline shows several public displays of support throughout their partnership:
- November 2024: The couple attended the Los Angeles premiere of Wicked, with Ariana seen fixing Ethan's bow tie on the red carpet
- January 2025: Ethan paid tribute to Ariana on social media after her Oscar nomination
- March 2025: He was seen crying while watching her perform at the Oscars
Despite the current speculation, both actors continue to show support for each other online, consistently liking each other's social media posts.
The London premiere of Wicked: For Good, set for release on November 21, has already generated positive early reviews, with critics describing it as an "emotional gut punch" and "epic and heartbreakingly tender conclusion" to the franchise.
