“Wicked” played a role in their romance, but a more apt word to describe the relationship between Ariana Grande and co-star Ethan Slater may be unexpected.
That’s because when the now Oscar-nominated pop icon first met the stage and screen actor, they were both married to other people. But a lot has happened between them since their adventure in the Land of Oz first began.
When did their previous relationships end? When were they first photographed together? And just how did Glinda come to fall for a Munchkin named Boq?
Read through the following timeline for the answers to most of those burning questions — and several more their fans are sure to have.
December 2022
Though it’s unknown to the public if they had met before, Grande and Slater were no longer strangers by December 2022 when filming began on Jon. M. Chu’s “Wicked,” in which she was cast as the pink-loving, popular witch, Glinda, and Slater was landed the role of Boq, a pal from Munchkinland.
At the time, Grande was married to real estate agent Dalton Gomez, whom she said “I do” to in May of 2021.
As for Slater, he was married to psychologist Lilly Jay since 2018, and the pair welcomed a baby boy in August 2022.
February 2023
Though the news wouldn’t be revealed until July, Grande and Gomez separated on Feb. 20, 2023, as TODAY.com later learned in court records from their divorce.
March 2023
Fans got their first glimpse of Grande and Slater together when “Wicked” cast member Michelle Yeoh shared a carousel of photos to Instagram from her Oscars party on March 27, 2023. The photo, the last in the carousel, showed the would-be couple sitting side by side and beaming as Grande draped an arm around “Wicked’s” leading lady, Cynthia Erivo.
July 2023
There was a lot of breaking news about Grande and Slater, as well as their past partners, in July of 2023.
That’s when it was revealed that Slater and Jay were no longer together. And, just two days after the news of Grande and Gomez’s separation became public knowledge, on July 20, 2023, TODAY.com learned that Grande and Slater were dating.
A source revealed, “Ethan is separated from his wife, and (Ariana) and Ethan recently started dating.”
Jay would later reflect on this period in an essay she penned for The Cut. In it, she wrote, “I really never thought I would get divorced. Especially not just after giving birth to my first child and especially not in the shadow of my husband’s new relationship with a celebrity.”
December 2023
Grande, who at this point remained mum about her romance with Slater, appeared to post a subtle tribute to him on Instagram days before Christmas 2023.
One of the many personal photos she shared in a carousel simply showed can of Spam ornament hanging from some garland. The significance is that Slater was starring in “Spamalot” on Broadway while filming on “Wicked” took a break in the wake of the SAG-AFTRA strike.
March 2024
Fans seemed convinced that Grande’s seventh studio album, “Eternal Sunshine,” released March 8, 2024, is packed with references to her relationship with Slater.
On the single “Supernatural,” she sings, “”It’s like supernatural / This love’s possessin’ me, but I don’t mind at all / It’s like supernatural / It’s takin‘ over me, don’t wanna fight the fall.”
And on the title track, she belts, “I found a good boy and he’s on my side / You’re just my eternal sunshine, sunshine.”
Other references are said to be scattered throughout the album, including in songs “The Boy Is Mine” and “Yes, And?”
June 2024
On June 8, 2024, Grande and Slater were spotted out on a rare public date. The pair attended Game One of the Stanley Cup Final between the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers.
A photo from their outing at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida, showed the couple sitting together and smiling mid-conversation.
September 2024
In an interview with Vanity Fair published on Sept. 30, 2024, Grande spoke out about the public reception to her romance with Slater in the wake of their individual divorces. Some critics had been especially hard on Slater, given that he and his ex-wife had welcomed a child just months before their split.
“The most disappointing part was to see so many people believe the worst version of it,” Grande said. “There couldn’t be a less accurate depiction of a human being than the one that the tabloids spread about him …”
The two-time Grammy winner went on to defend him, noting, “No one on this earth tries harder or spreads themselves thinner to be there for the people that he loves and cares about. There is no one on this earth with a better heart, and that is something that no bulls— tabloid can rewrite in real life.”
October 2024
Just one month after Grande opened up about their relationship directly, Slater found himself making similar comments about the reactions he and Grande had faced in an interview with GQ.
He said, “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.”
January 2025
January 2025 was a big month for the couple — and for Grande personally.
On the Jan. 7, the pair attended The National Board of Review Annual Awards Gala in New York, where they were seen packing on the PDA.
Just over two weeks later, on Jan. 23, Grande received one of the biggest honors of her career to date — her very first Oscar nomination, for best supporting actress in “Wicked.”
To mark the occasion, Slater shared a photo of his girlfriend standing in front of a balcony window and holding a bouquet of pastel pink balloons.