After three years, Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater have finally called time on their controversial romance, said to have privately gone their separate ways ‘several months’ ago.
Yet despite claims the split was amicable, fans have speculated that Ariana may have taken a parting shot at Ethan with her new song, I Hate That I Made You Love Me.
The single, which Ariana has claimed is one of her favourites ever, comes from her upcoming album, Petal, and seemingly addresses her regret over a relationship as well as her complicated feelings about the fickle nature of fame.
Fans have suggested Ethan could be the subject of the pop hit, which features lyrics such as ‘I’ve held your projections when you’ve felt so insecure / Tell me, why is it this way? /
‘Why you so hate to see women endure? / Is it really my fault you all gave me your hearts of your own accord? / I don’t really think so.’
One eagle-eyed fan went as far to suggest that the music video contains subtle references to Ethan’s role as SpongeBob SquarePants on Broadway, noting the font, Ariana’s yellow dress and bubble sound effects.
Ariana Grande fans have claimed her new song I Hate That I Made You Love Me is a dig at Ethan Slater after she called time on their controversial three-year romance
An insider told Daily Mail that the split came after a significant amount of consideration and lengthy deliberation, and that the pair remain friends (pictured in 2025)
This is said to be coincidental, however, with sources stating that Ariana’s new album was not at all inspired by the breakup, nor is the music about her relationship with Ethan.
An insider added to Daily Mail that the split came after a significant amount of consideration and lengthy deliberation, and that the pair remain friends.
It’s believed the pair separated several months ago, and Ariana has been doing well in the wake of the breakup, focusing her energy on her ongoing Eternal Sunshine tour, which kicked off on June 6 in California, and will wrap up on September 1 in London.
The tour is Ariana’s first big project since being trapped in the all consuming Wicked bubble, which saw her film and promote the two musicals back to back over the span of three years.
During this time, the singer raised eyebrows several times with her behaviour, with fans expressing concern over her shrinking frame and bizarre bond with Cynthia Erivo that bordered on co-dependency.
Yet it was Ariana’s relationship with co-star Ethan that sparked the most scandal, given the pair were both married when they met.
Now, however, Ariana is doing all she can to distance herself from her controversial Glinda role – ditching her blonde locks, getting back to making music and notably splitting from Ethan.
The breakup severs her last ties to her role as Glinda, as Ethan played her doting admirer and Munchkin Boq in the movie.
When their real-life relationship was revealed the pair were subject to affair rumours, although both parties have insisted they were single when they started dating.
Yet despite claims the split was amicable, fans have speculated that Ariana may have taken a parting shot at Ethan with the lyrics and video to her new song, I Hate That I Made You Love Me
When Ethan met Ariana he was married to high-school sweetheart, Lilly Jay, with the couple welcoming a son in 2022, a few months before filming on Wicked began (pictured in 2018)
Meanwhile, Ariana was still married to Dalton Gomez. She filed for divorce in September 2023 and listed the date of separation as February 20 that year
Ethan had been married to his high-school sweetheart, Lilly Jay, a clinical psychologist, since 2018, with the couple welcoming a son in 2022, a few months before filming on Wicked began.
The actor filed for divorce on July 26, 2023, five years after he tied the knot.
Meanwhile, Ariana was still married to Dalton Gomez. She filed for divorce in September 2023 and listed the date of separation as February 20 that year.
The pair raised eyebrows when they announced they had split from their spouses within a few days of each other.
It was later alleged that Ariana and Ethan were involved romantically for months before, having grown close while on the set of the movie.
An insider said that the pair were so open with their romance during filming that the majority of the Wicked cast were aware that they were in a relationship.
‘They were sloppy on set,’ the source shared. ‘They were seen being all over each other.
Ariana and Ethan tried to keep their relationship out of the spotlight yet it was said to have progressed quickly, with the couple moving in together after a few months.
Ethan’s wife Lilly later damned Ariana in a series of disparaging interviews, telling Page Six the music artist was ‘not a girl’s girl’, adding ‘my family is just collateral damage’ to her.
Lilly also expressed how painful it had been to be reminded of her divorce by the pair’s two-year Wicked promo blitz, saying there are ‘days when I can’t escape the promotion of a movie associated with the saddest days of my life are darker’.
Now,, the world has moved on from Wicked following the release of its sequel For Good last November. And so to, has Ariana (pictured with Cynthia Erivo in the film)
Now, however, the world has moved on from Wicked following the release of its sequel For Good last November. And so too, has Ariana.
While the film may forever be associated with a series of scandals, Ariana has credited the movie with helping to heal her trauma.
Speaking to Interview magazine about her Eternal Sunshine tour, the singer explained that working on Wicked had reaffirmed her love of performing.
She explained: ‘I’ve just been healing my relationship to music and touring over the past couple of years.
‘I think the time away from [music] helped me reclaim certain pieces of it and put certain feelings that maybe belonged to my relationship to fame, or the things that come with being an artist, in a box somewhere else, and say, “OK. I don’t have to let go of this thing that I love. I can just put those things over here, and not lose sight of my gifts.”
‘So I’ve just been taking baby steps towards healing my relationship to music and touring, and I think my time with Glinda and with acting really helped me build the strength to be able to do that.
‘But I can’t express how grateful I am. I think it just held some traumas for me before, and I feel those dissipating, and that is such an extraordinarily beautiful thing.’
Now Ariana is hoping to show fans another side of her with her album Petal, which she has described as a ‘little feral’.
Discussing the concept with Rolling Stone, she mused: ‘It’s definitely from a place where I have been maybe too shy or polite to tap into before. This kind of just feels like, f***k it.’