It’s true that some (if not most) celebrity rumours are baseless. And despite whirlwind accusations from spouses and two divorces, with little evidence to go off aside from vague “sources” and “insiders”, there hasn’t been much confirmation that Ariana Grande is actually dating her Wicked co-star Ethan Slater. But now, thanks to TMZ, we now have some proof that the two are indeed coupled up.
In photos obtained by the outlet, Grande and Slater were spotted enjoying a romantic dinner for two in New York City at the Mandarin Oriental hotel’s MO Lounge. The snaps show the thespians getting close and holding hands while they chat over wine. Eyewitnesses at the restaurant described the pair as “super flirty and touchy-feely.” Grande even kissed Slater several times, making it their first PDA sighting since the rumours of their romance began back in September last year. The only other known photos of them include a cast dinner and a group trip to Disney World last month, where they were photographed linking arms.
The hit singer was also spotted “getting up from where she was first sitting (across from Slater) to be directly by [Slater’s] side” and “whispered sweet nothings into his ear.”
Grande’s divorce from Dalton Gomez was finalised earlier this month after two years of marriage, while Slater filed for divorce from his wife, Lilly Jay, whom he shares a child with, in July.
The two met while filming Jon M. Chu’s upcoming movie-musical adaptation of Wicked, where Grande plays the leading role of Glinda, and Slater plays Boq.
In early October, a source told Us Weekly that the co-stars had already moved in together, but reports had been circulating since early September.
“Ethan informed his friends and soon-to-be ex-wife [Lilly Jay] that he’s living with Ariana full-time in New York,” revealed the source, adding that the actor already had the approval from Grande’s inner circle. “They’re really happy and really good for each other. All of her friends love him.”
Neither party has publicly spoken about their relationship status, but we can’t deny the pair seem really into each other.
