Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater are no longer hiding their relationship from the public. DeuxMoi ran photos and video that was submitted of Grande and Slater out at Disney World on Friday. The couple appeared with their arms linked. Both wore black hoodies, Grande pairing hers with a pleated miniskirt and tights. You can see all the pics here on DeuxMoi’s account.
TMZ also ran video of their trip and spoke with a source close to Grande about her and Slater’s visit. The source revealed that Grande and Slater were with Grande’s mom, brother, and a group of friends at the theme park in Orlando, Florida. The group had a private tour guide who took them from ride to ride.
The insider described Grande and Slater generally as “really happy together and really good for each other,” adding that “all of her friends love him.”
This is Slater and Grande’s first outing since they each separately filed for divorce from their spouses and news of their relationship came out in July. Grande and her estranged husband Dalton Gomez filed for divorce on September 18, with both listing their date of separation as February. They were married for two years.
Slater filed for divorce from his wife Lilly Jay in July. The former couple share a child together and dated for 10 years. They were married for four.
Multiple sources told People in early September that Grande and Slater did not start dating until after they were separated from their partners. Grande and Slater met on the set of Wicked, which began production late last year.
“While this entire situation has been blown out of proportion, it’s much different than what has been portrayed in public,” a friend of the couple told the outlet. “They are just trying to navigate their new relationship in private.”
“They are doing their best to balance the fact that they are in the public eye with the desire to be respectful to all parties involved,” a second source added.
A third insider stressed that while “people have tried to question the timeline,” there was no overlap with their previous relationships. Slater and Grande were friends and co-workers before they started dating.
Neither Slater nor Grande have commented on their relationship. Slater’s estranged wife Jay did speak to outlets about it though, telling Daily Mail in late July, “I am focused on rebuilding a life for our son and rebuilding a life for him. This is what I am trying to do and this is my only focus.”
She also told Page Six then, “[Ariana’s] the story really. Not a girl’s girl. My family is just collateral damage.”
Senior News and Strategy Editor
Alyssa Bailey is the senior news and strategy editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage of celebrities and royals (particularly Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton). She previously held positions at InStyle and Cosmopolitan. When she’s not working, she loves running around Central Park, making people take #ootd pics of her, and exploring New York City.