Ariana Grande slammed “disreputable tabloids” for spreading rumors that she began dating actor Ethan Slater before he separated from his now ex-wife.
The singer-actress in a new interview published Monday acknowledged the controversy surrounding her courtship with her Wicked co-star, whom she began dating in 2023 shortly after they each split from their respective spouses.
“It definitely doesn’t get any easier, seeing some of the negativity that was birthed by disreputable tabloids,” the singer-actress told Vanity Fair, pointing to her absence from the public eye while working on Wicked as part of the media frenzy. “I understand why it was a field day for the tabloids to sort of create something that paid their bills.”
When filming began on Wicked, Grande was still with her husband Dalton Gomez and Slater had not yet parted ways with his then-spouse, with whom he shares a 2-year-old son.
Soon after reports emerged that Grande was dating Slater, his ex told Page Six that the singer allegedly spent time with both her and Slater while they were together, calling the pop star “not a girl’s girl,” before claiming “my family is just collateral damage… the story is her and Dalton.”
Grande and Slater coupled up soon after news broke that Grande was leaving then-husband Dalton Gomez, sparking controversy regarding the relationship’s timeline.
Elsa/Getty Images
While Grande disagreed with the popular narrative surrounding her and Slater and disputed certain unnamed allegations, she claimed she “will never go into certain details” about their relationship.
“The most disappointing part was to see so many people believe the worst version of it,” the award-winning vocalist said, pointing to Slater being painted as someone who left his wife and child to be with a pop star.
“There couldn’t be a less accurate depiction of a human being than the one that the tabloids spread about him,” she told the outlet, continuing, “No one on this earth tries harder or spreads themselves thinner to be there for the people that he loves and cares about.”
Having risen to fame on Nickelodeon, Grande accused tabloids of “trying to destroy” her since she was a teenager. “I’m 31 years old and I’m not a perfect person, but I am definitely deeply good, and I’m proud of who I’m becoming.” she said. “I will never let disreputable evil tabloids ruin my life or my perception of what is real and good.”
Grande’s response to allegations surrounding her relationship comes as the star promotes the coming Wicked movie adaptation in which she plays Glinda. The film is scheduled to debut in theaters on Nov. 22.
