Ariana Grande Is Reportedly Dating Ethan Slater From 'Wicked' & The SpongeBob Jokes Are Gold
Ariana Grande is reportedly dating someone new amid her separation from her husband, and the singer's new man is also in the Nickelodeon family.
Sources have confirmed to TMZ, People and Entertainment Tonight that the pop singer is dating her Wicked co-star Ethan Slater, who previously played SpongeBob in the “SpongeBob SquarePants,” Broadway musical.
This comes just days after news broke that the singer reportedly separated from her husband, Dalton Gomez, this past January and that the couple is on their way to getting a divorce.
“Ariana and Dalton separated in January," a source told People. "She and Ethan recently began dating, and he is separated from his wife."
A source told People that Gomez and Grande "have been quietly and lovingly working on their friendship" since their separation and that their relationship became a "long-distance marriage" with their conflicting schedules.
"She was happy in Los Angeles for a couple of years. She wanted to make a life there with Dalton," the source told People.
"He is super focused on his career and needs to live in Los Angeles. It's definitely been an issue for them. Dalton's career is demanding, and he can't leave Los Angeles often. So when [Grande] started filming Wicked in England, they were in for a long-distance marriage."
Slater is starring as Boq, Elphaba’s sister Nessarose's love interest, in the film adaption, and Grande will be playing Glinda, who's actually Slater's "true love," according to Variety.
Jonathan Bailey will also be starring in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical, and he was recently photographed with Grande at a Wimbledon tennis match where she wasn't wearing her wedding ring.
TMZ reports that Grande and Slater have been dating for months and started seeing each other during the production of Wicked, but that their relationship didn't take off until Slater had separated from his wife, Lilly Jay, whom he shares a child with.
Gomez is reportedly also dating, according to TMZ.
Whether the reports claiming that Grande and Slater are an item are true or not, fans have been having a heyday thinking that the two Nickelodeon alumni are together.
"You’re telling me SpongeBob and Cat Valentine are dating?!?!" reads a tweet.
You’re telling me SpongeBob and Cat Valentine are dating?!?! pic.twitter.com/sZMOvpb7xi
— Hi Im Ry (@WhateverDoja) July 20, 2023
Grande famously played Cat Valentine in Nickelodeon's Victorious and Sam & Cat and fans were quick to point out her and Slater's Nickelodeon connection.
"This was not a combo I was expecting," reads another tweet with a photo of Grande's character Cat Valentine and Sponge Bob.
This was not a combo I was expecting😂 pic.twitter.com/xkvx9Uel7h
— Ryan Daly (@RyanDaly32) July 20, 2023
Wicked is set to come out in November 2024, according to IMDb, so fans can see if the pair has any on-screen chemistry then.
Since the news broke Slater has turned his Instagram account private. Narcity reached out to Grande and Slater for comment but did not hear back in time for publication.
Ariana Grande and Andrew Garfield at Wimbledon on July 16, 2023.Courtesy of Mejuri.