LOS ANGELES: Actor Ethan Slater has reignited speculation about a split with Ariana Grande after avoiding questions about their relationship during a live interview, despite the pair appearing together at recent premieres for their film Wicked: For Good.
Slater, 33, appeared on NBC’s Today show on Friday, where he was asked what it was like “working with your girlfriend every day.”
He did not address Grande directly and instead praised the “incredible” cast of the Wicked sequel. He described Grande as “brilliant” and co-star Cynthia Erivo as “remarkable,” saying it was “pretty special” to watch both perform at close range.
His evasive comments come amid months of speculation that the couple may have quietly ended their relationship. Slater and Grande were not seen together publicly from April until this month.
They stood near each other in group photos at the New York premiere on Monday, which briefly calmed rumours.
However, reports resurfaced after Slater declined to discuss the relationship on air. He said he had attended “all the premieres” and was proud of the cast, adding: “We’re, like, a family.”
Slater and Grande were first linked in July 2023 during filming of the two-part Wicked adaptation.
Their romance drew controversy because Slater was married at the time to Lilly Jay, with whom he shares a three-year-old son. Jay later criticised Grande publicly. Grande’s marriage to Dalton Gomez also ended later that year.
According to an unnamed insider quoted in entertainment reports, Slater and Grande “are still a couple” but have struggled with increased online scrutiny.
The source said the pair attended the Leicester Square premiere in London and the after-party but “made sure they weren’t seen together.”
Slater recently posted an Instagram carousel that included a photo of Grande, though neither showed any public affection in the image.
Rumours continue to circulate as the actors promote Wicked: For Good, the second instalment of the musical film adaptation, released on Friday.
