Ariana Grande continues to make headlines and speculation surrounds her marriage and love life. It was widely reported in July that she and husband Dalton Gomez were heading for divorce and, shortly after, news broke that she’d moved on with Wicked co-star Ethan Slater. Sources indicated that the two co-stars (who were both married at the time) had engaged in an affair while working on the upcoming big-screen musical. As of right now, neither has publicly spoken on the matter amid the continued flurry of rumors. Now, in the midst of the situation, an insider is claiming the situation has been “blown out of proportion.”
With so many reports swirling around the two stars at this time, it’s honestly hard to decipher what is and isn’t true. An alleged friend of the couple asserts, though, that the matter has been somewhat misconstrued. Said person spoke with People, sharing some insights into their purported friends’ relationship. The person also went on drop a detail about how the two are reportedly grappling with their relationship being in the open at this point:
While this entire situation has been blown out of proportion, it’s much different than what has been portrayed in public. They are just trying to navigate their new relationship in private.
The biggest point of speculation within this ongoing conversation arguably deals within the onset of this romance. Many have tried to figure out whether the songstress’ new relationship followed her separation from Dalton Gomez or predated it. The source went on to make mention of that timeline-related point while speaking with the trade. They then shared their take on how the situation allegedly played out in that regard:
People have tried to question the timeline. The truth is, Ariana and Ethan didn’t begin seeing each other until after both parties were separated, respectfully.
We can’t say with total certainty that the statement above is either true or false. However, what can be stated is that it runs counter to many of the reports that have been floating around as of late. One insider asserted nearly a month ago that Ethan Slater and Ariana Grande’s relationship began as an extramarital affair. They even added that while together, the pair reportedly went on double dates with their respective spouses. That same insider also corroborated previously made claims about Grande and Slater being “sloppy” with their relationship while working on Wicked, which shut down production earlier this summer due to the Hollywood strikes.
While it’s unknown what went down exactly, it’s evident that Lilly Jay, Ethan Slater’s wife of nearly five years and the mother of his son, is not happy. Jay broke her silence on the matter in late July, saying “[Ariana’s] the story really” and that her and Slater’s family are simply “collateral damage.” Most recently, it was alleged that Slater, who filed for divorce from Jay, is attempting to work out their situation amicably. Another one of People’s insiders also alleged that the actor’s “priority will always be to co-parent his son.” All the while, Grande is reportedly giving them the space to do that.
Time will tell whether Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater decide to go public with each other. Until that happens though, it’s likely that rumors will continue to circulate about the circumstances regarding their coupling.