Ariana Grande addresses criticism over relationship with Ethan Slater

Ariana Grande broke her silence on the buzz surrounding her relationship with Wicked co-star Ethan Slater.

"It’ll never be unpainful," said the 7 rings crooner said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter addressing the ongoing rumours.

"But also, I walk with the awareness that I’m an artist and this is a path that I’ve chosen, and so I just try to protect myself so that I never start to resent the art," she added.

The relationship between We Can’t Be Friends singer and the These Untold Secrets actor was first confirmed by the People magazine in 2023, shortly after both filed for separation from their respective partners.

Grande and Slater made their relationship Instagram official in November 2024 and attended several public events for movie’s promotion.

After making their relationship public, the couple continued to face criticism and questions about the timeline of their relationship. However, in 2023, a close family friend told the outlet that they "didn’t begin seeing each other until after both parties were separated, respectfully."

Another tipster shared at the time that "they are doing their best to balance the fact that they are in the public eye with the desire to be respectful to all parties involved."

Last month, Grande received her first Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her work in Wicked. Slater celebrated the news by sharing a post on Instagram of Grande holding a bouquet of pink balloons and staring out the window. He also posted a story which said the words “Oscar. Nominated. @arianagrande.”