Ariana Grande Says "Negativity" About Ethan Slater Romance Was "Disappointing"

Ariana Grande is speaking out in support of her romantic relationship with her Wicked co-star, Ethan Slater .

The news first broke in July 2023 that Grande had started dating Slater . At the time, Slater was very recently separated from his wife of five years, Lilly Jay , with whom he'd just welcomed a baby boy. The same month, it was revealed that Grande had decided to separate from her husband of two years, Dalton Gomez .

In a new interview with Vanity Fair , Grande has addressed the rumors and gossip she faced after starting a new romance with Slater.

"It definitely doesn’t get any easier, seeing some of the negativity that was birthed by disreputable tabloids," Grande told the outlet. "Of course, I went through a lot of life changes during the filming of this movie. A lot of people that were working on it did. We were away for two years. So, of course, I understand why it was a field day for the tabloids to sort of create something that paid their bills."

The "7 Rings" singer also expressed her dismay that many people believed rumors about her situation, regardless of the truth.

"The most disappointing part was to see so many people believe the worst version of it," she told the outlet. "That was definitely a tough ride."

Grande was also quick to defend her new boyfriend, and sing his praises. "There couldn’t be a less accurate depiction of a human being than the one that the tabloids spread about him," Grande explained.

The singer continued, "No one on this earth tries harder or spreads themselves thinner to be there for the people that he loves and cares about. There is no one on this earth with a better heart, and that is something that no bullshit tabloid can rewrite in real life."

Having grown up in the spotlight, Grande remains critical of tabloid coverage of her life.

"Honestly, it’s taken me a lot of hard work to be able to last this long and to heal certain parts of my relationship to fame and to what I do because of these tabloids that have been trying to destroy me since I was 19 years old," she told the publication.

"But you know what?" she continued. "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. I will never let disreputable evil tabloids ruin my life or my perception of what is real and good."