Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater Went From 'Wicked' Co-Stars to Couple in a Matter of Months

Let's run it back to the beginning.

Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater's relationship began making headlines the moment they started dating, and the buzz around the couple has been nonstop ever since. The two first met while making the film adaptation of Wicked, and within a matter of months, they went from co-stars to a full-on couple.

Prior to getting together, Grande was with her husband Dalton Gomez for two years, while Slater had been married to his high school sweetheart Lilly Jay since 2018. The news of their relationship broke in July 2023, three days after Grande and Gomez announced their break up and six days before Slater filed for divorce. However, sources were adamant that things only turned romantic between them following their respective separations. While their relationship has been a hot topic of conversation on the internet, not much is actually known about them as a couple.

Ahead, take a look back at Grande and Slater's whirlwind romance from the very beginning.

December 2022: Ethan Slater joins the cast of 'Wicked'.

Grande and Slater presumably first met when the actor was cast as Boq in the two-part film adaptation of Wicked. Coincidentally, Boq is the love interest of Elphaba’s sister, Nessarose, who is infatuated with Glinda the Good Witch (played by Grande).

May 2023: Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater film their first scene together.

Grande and Slater were photographed together while filming a scene as Glinda and Boq in Wicked. In the photo, the pair held hands, as Grande wore head-to-toe lavender and Slater was dressed in a blue striped suit jacket and shorts.

July 16, 2023: Ariana Grande is spotted without her wedding ring at Wimbledon.

Fans first became suspicious that Grande's relationship status might change after she was spotted at Wimbledon without her wedding ring. She was joined by a different Wicked co-star, Jonathan Bailey, for the appearance.

July 17, 2023: Ariana Grande splits from husband Dalton Gomez.

The next day, it was reported that Grande and her husband, Dalton Gomez, had split after two years of marriage. A source told People that they separated earlier in 2023 and "have been quietly and lovingly working on their friendship."

July 20, 2023: Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater are dating.

Three days after her split from Gomez was announced, Grande was confirmed to be dating Slater.

A week following the news, an insider told People that the two grew close while filming, but no one expected them to start dating. “It was obvious on the set from early on ... they were very sweet to each other and often seen laughing together," the source said, adding that everyone thought it was just a fun friendship.

A second source told the outlet that Grande and Slater did not get romantically involved until both were separated from their spouses.

July 26, 2023: Ethan Slater files for divorce from his wife Lilly Jay.

Slater filed for divorce in New York on July 26, according to TMZ.

Soon after, his ex-wife, Lilly Jay, gave a statement to Page Six about the split, telling the outlet, “[Ariana’s] the story, really. Not a girl’s girl. My family is just collateral damage.” Jay also added that she was focused on being "a good mom" to her and Slater's child.

September 2023: Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater make their first public appearance as a couple at Disney World.

Grande and Slater went on a Disney date for their first public outing as a couple. In photos obtained by TMZ, they were spotted arm-in-arm walking around Disney World together in hats and hoodies. They were joined by a group of friends, as well as Grande's mom and brother, Frankie.

October 2023: Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater reportedly move in together.

According to a source at Us Weekly, Grande and Slater started living together in New York City. “Ethan informed his friends and soon-to-be ex-wife that he’s living with Ariana full-time in New York,” the insider explained. “They’re really happy and really good for each other. All of her friends love him.”

November 2023: Ariana Grande attends the premiere of Ethan Slater's Broadway show, 'Spamalot.'

Grande sweetly supported Slater during the opening night of the Broadway revival of Spamalot, in which the actor plays historian Prince Herbert. For the occasion, Grande looked elegant in a black Loewe gown with sheer black opera gloves and a red lip.

December 2023: Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater have dinner with her dad in NYC.

Ahead of Slater's 7:30 p.m. Spamalot performance on December 23, the couple stepped out for dinner with Grande's dad, Ed Butera, at an Italian restaurant in New York while twinning in all-black outfits.

January 2024: Ariana Grande seemingly addresses her and Ethan Slater's relationship in her new single "Yes, And?"

Grande appeared to shut down the online chatter surrounding her and Slater's relationship with her new single "Yes, And?"

In the bridge, Grande sings, “Don’t comment on my body, do not reply / Your business is yours and mine is mine / Why do you care so much whose dick I ride?” The second verse goes a little something like this: “Now, I’m so done with caring / What you think, no, I won’t hide / Underneath your own projections / Or change my most authentic life.”

February 2024: Ariana Grande breaks her silence about the Ethan Slater cheating rumors.

While making an appearance on The Zach Sang Show on the Amazon Music channel on Twitch, Grande opened up about her relationship with Slater for the first time, breaking her silence on the cheating rumors that have followed their relationship since the beginning.

During the interview, Sang commented on the "darkness" that can come with happiness, asking Grande if there's anything she wished people knew. "Plenty. We don't have enough time," she said, adding: "I feel like we don’t need to go into any specifics, but, of course, there’s like an insatiable frustration, inexplicable, hellish feeling with watching people, misunderstand the people you love and you and anything."

When asked whether her new album, Eternal Sunshine, might set the record straight, she responded, "I hope so. I think it does. I think it's the absolute worst idea. Pieces of it touch on things that are real and then pieces of it are part of the concept. So, what is that separation? It's scary to leave it up to these selective memory people to decipher."

September 30, 2024: Ariana Grande defends Ethan Slater in a new 'Vanity Fair' profile.

On the cusp of the highly anticipated theatrical release of Wicked, Grande went to bat for Slater in Vanity Fair, calling his post-divorce fallout a "tough ride."

"There couldn’t be a less accurate depiction of a human being than the one that the tabloids spread about him,” she continued. “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 bullshit tabloid can rewrite in real life.”

October 30, 2024: Ethan Slater gushes about Ariana Grande in 'GQ'.

After Grande sang Slater's praises in Vanity Fair, Slater returned the favor with an interview of his own in GQ.

“I’m just really, really proud of Ari and the work she’s done on this,” he told the magazine. “She’s poured herself into it. I’m really proud that I got to be there for that part of it, and I’m really excited to be there for this next step of it when the world gets to see the amazing thing that she did.”

November 3, 2024: Ethan Slater promises to give a fan's friendship bracelet to Ariana Grande.

The moment came just after the couple's arrival in Sydney to promote Wicked, and was quite possibly the most wholesome celebrity interaction we've ever seen. "She'll love it, I'm sure she'll love it," Slater told the fan as he pocketed the bracelet.

November 9, 2024: Ethan Slater and Ariana Grande attend the L.A. premiere of 'Wicked'.

The pair shared a sweet PDA moment on the red carpet before Grande turned her attention to a reporter, offering a heartfelt endorsement of her boyfriend and his work.

“He’s always that adorable and he’s so amazing in this film," she told Entertainment Tonight. "He’s such an amazing person. I’m so happy people are getting to know him. My heart is very happy.”

November 14: 2024: The couple hits the red carpet for 'Wicked' in New York City.

The Wicked tour continued with another red carpet premiere a few days later, this time at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Slater and Grande held hands and hugged. They then hopped on a plane and went back to London for the film's last premiere date, a fitting finale since London is where Wicked was filmed.