Ariana Grande has embarked on her "Eternal Sunshine" tour as a single woman. Reports from TMZ and People confirm that the pop star ended her three-year relationship with "Wicked" co-star Ethan Slater several months ago.
Tour Begins Without Slater
TMZ noted that Slater did not attend the opening show of Grande's tour on Saturday night in Oakland. However, a source close to the couple told People that the split was amicable. "It's amicable, they gave lots of time and careful consideration and decided to go their separate ways," the source said. "They are still friends and very supportive of one another. They have been quietly broken up for several months."
Grande's Well-Being
The source also emphasized that the 32-year-old singer is "doing great" under the circumstances. Grande and Slater first confirmed their relationship in July 2023, shortly after Grande announced her divorce from real estate broker Dalton Gomez. That divorce was finalized in March 2024.
Slater's Previous Marriage
At the time of meeting Grande, Slater was married to therapist Lilly Jay, with whom he shares a son. Their divorce was settled in September 2024. Slater admitted to GQ a month later that falling in love with Grande publicly was "really hard" and that having private life commented on was "really difficult."
Jay's Perspective
In an essay for "The Cut" published in December 2024, Jay described experiencing "a season of shock and mourning" from the breakup, noting that it came in waves. "As for me, days with my son are sunny. Days when I can't escape the promotion of a movie associated with the saddest days of my life are darker," she wrote.
Grande's Reflection
Grande told the Hollywood Reporter in February 2025 that the gossip surrounding her relationship with Slater will "never be unpainful," but she walks "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."
