The One Brutal Rumor That Could Break Up Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater Revealed

Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater have managed to stay together despite months of fevered speculation their relationship has quietly collapsed, with sources telling OK! a single, persistent rumor about a "secret split" has become the most damaging threat to their romance.

The pair met on the London set of Wicked in 2022 and began dating in the summer of 2023, after both had filed for divorce earlier that year.

Grande, 32, had separated from Dalton Gomez, while Slater, 33, had ended his marriage to Lilly Jay, a clinical psychologist who had recently given birth to their son. Their relationship, which became public amid intense scrutiny and backlash, has since unfolded largely out of sight as they navigate a global promotional tour for Wicked: For Good, the second instalment of the two-part film adaptation that has made Grande a global superstar.

Claims the couple had quietly split after nearly two years together intensified after they avoided public appearances side by side, including at the MTV Video Music Awards in New York in September. Insiders tell us the rumor mill reached a peak around the London premiere of Wicked: For Good, where the pair attended events but deliberately stayed apart.

One source said: "Ariana and Ethan have not split up, but the noise around them online has been relentless. They were both present at the Leicester Square premiere and the celebration afterward, yet they deliberately avoided appearing together to stop their private lives becoming a public sideshow."

The same source added after the London events Grande returned to her suite at the Mandarin Oriental, with Slater joining her later in private.

"They are fully aware of the commentary swirling around them, and it has been a difficult few months," they said. "For them, the priority has been keeping things private and carving out time together away from the spotlight."

Grande and Slater then rejoined the wider cast, including Cynthia Erivo, to travel to Singapore for the next leg of the Wicked follow-up's promotional run. Another insider said the couple planned to retreat from public view once the immediate press commitments ended.

They added: "After the current promotional push wraps up, they plan to step back and spend time together out of public view. They have always avoided making their relationship a public performance, and despite some strain, they remain a couple. But if rumors keep persisting, they have quietly broken up, it could be the one thing that actually does break them up as few couples can withstand that level of persistent gossip. Facing that would have a damaging influence on even the strongest of bonds."

Over the holiday period, the pair appeared to push back against breakup rumors by sharing overlapping Instagram Stories from an intimate Boxing Day gathering with friends. Slater posted clips of Grande smiling at him behind the camera with her dog Toulouse, which she later reposted with pink heart stickers.

Slater was also seen supporting Grande during her recent hosting appearance on Saturday Night Live, marking their first public outing together in weeks.

The split speculation has been fueled in part by the couple's decision to avoid discussing their relationship during press appearances for Wicked: For Good. Fans have continued to scrutinize their every move, particularly after both shared footage of a deleted scene from Wicked showing their characters, Glinda and Boq, as students alongside Elphaba and Fiyero.

A source close to the production said the ongoing rumor of a hidden break-up has become the most corrosive issue for the couple. "The constant suggestion that they have quietly split has been the most damaging rumor," they added. "It adds strain to every decision they make, but at the moment they are committed to each other and doing everything they can to stay out of the public eye."