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Ariana Grande cozies up to boyfriend Ethan Slater in very rare personal photo – fans react

The two star together in the upcoming Wicked with Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, and more

20 hours ago
Ahad Sanwari
Ahad Sanwari - New York
Senior WriterNew York
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Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater are still keeping their reported romance under wraps, but they aren't shying away from making public appearances together.

The two star in the long-awaited adaptation of the stage musical Wicked, Jon M. Chu's two-parter epic of which the first comes out this Thanksgiving after years of build-up and anticipation.

Last week, Ariana, 30, made an appearance at CinemaCon to promote the movie alongside her co-stars Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, and Ethan, 31.

The pair featured in several photos from the night, and the "Yes, And?" singer took to Instagram to post a new set of behind-the-scenes snaps that saw her mingling with her coworkers.

The cozy camaraderie between the group was evident, interspersed with photos from her recent promotional work for r.e.m. beauty, and she capped it off with an adorable photo of herself walking arm-in-arm with Ethan and Jonathan.

Fans loved seeing the two together, leaving responses on her post like: "I love this dump a lot," and: "The last pic has me…," plus: "It's giving whimsical," as well as: "LOVE this set."

View post on Instagram
 

In Wicked, Ariana plays one of the two lead roles, Glinda the Good, alongside Cynthia's Elphaba, while Ethan plays Boq, a munchkin who develops feelings for Glinda when she still goes by Galinda.

Speculation around Ariana and Ethan's romance first began last year, soon after she announced her separation from now ex-husband Dalton Gomez. A Los Angeles court judgment dissolving their marriage finally came into effect last month.

MORE: What is Ariana Grande's net worth?

Ethan, meanwhile, is also in the process of divorcing his estranged wife Lilly Jay, his high school sweetheart with whom he also shares a son and who previously shared a statement seemingly shading her ex's new girlfriend.

Ariana Grande with "Wicked" co-stars Jonathan Bailey and Ethan Slater at CinemaCon© Instagram
The singer included a snap with her "Wicked" co-stars Jonathan Bailey and Ethan Slater

As per court papers, Ariana and Dalton had separated over a year ago and, given they had no children and no notable legal disputes, the process moved quickly. The terms of the divorce state that Dalton will receive a $1,250,000 one-time payment from Ariana and no future alimony, half of the proceeds from the sale of their California home, and pay up to $25,000 of his attorney's fees.

MORE: Ariana Grande addresses fan 'bullying' in the wake of split and emotional anniversary

Ariana and Dalton began dating in early 2020 and confirmed their romance when they appeared together during lockdown in the music video for her collaboration with Justin Bieber, "Stuck With U."

Ethan Slater attends the 72nd Annual Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall on June 10, 2018 in New York City© Getty Images
Ethan is also in the process of divorcing his wife Lilly Jay

They got engaged that December and tied the knot at her Montecito home in May 2021, and kept their relationship private, eschewing public appearances together while occasionally appearing in social media updates. They separated in February 2023 and simultaneously filed for divorce citing "irreconcilable differences."

MORE: Ariana Grande immortalizes time spent with Ethan Slater filming Wicked in new tattoo – details

The "We Can't Be Friends" hitmaker and her Broadway star new beau have occasionally been spotted together at parties with friends and behind-the-scenes of Broadway.

Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater backstage with Andrew Rannells and Josh Gad at "Gutenberg"© Instagram
The couple have been snapped together a few times as well

Ariana was seen at the Spamalot premiere supporting Ethan, who had a starring role in the production which has since ended its limited engagement, and they've also been snapped backstage at other Broadway shows since.

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