Ariana Grande Spotted With Her Arm Around Ethan Slater 3 Weeks Before Dating News

Days after the actor filed for divorce from his wife, Lilly Jay, photos from the pop star's birthday celebrations pictured her & Ethan with their arms around each other.

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Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater hug
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It would appear that Ariana Grande‘s rumored romance with her Wicked co-star, Ethan Slater, 31, was heating up weeks before the public heard about it! In photos obtained by The Daily Mail on Jul. 28, the songstress was pictured with her arms around the 31-year-old while celebrating her birthday on Jun. 27. The pair was pictured at Soho Farmhouse, a private members’ club located in the British countryside.

Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater hug
Ariana Grande & Ethan Slater were pictured hugging weeks before news of their rumored romance broke. (Shutterstock)

While enjoying their getaway, Ariana had her arms around Ethan and an unidentified friend at the same time. The 30-year-old was pictured in a casual ensemble that featured grey sweatpants, a long-sleeved black sweater, and opted to tie her blonde tresses up in a messy bun. Meanwhile, Ethan, who reportedly recently filed for divorce from his wife, Lilly Jay, sported a similar outfit. He rocked a grey crewneck sweatshirt and black trousers.

A guest of the resort told the outlet that, “Ariana was sitting next to Ethan and [they were with] another woman, who looked like an assistant or a PA, and another guy.” The rumored couple was spotted eating breakfast while at Soho Farmhouse. “They were eating breakfast – and they wanted to take a picture of a poached egg that got dropped on the floor by a waitress as she was bringing it over to them. Ariana said it looked cute,” DM‘s source alleged.

The new photos from Ari’s birthday week comes on the heels of Ethan and his wife’s separation. The SpongeBob Musical star reportedly filed the paperwork to end his marriage to his spouse of five years on Jul. 26, per TMZ. Ethan and Lilly’s split comes amid online rumors that he and Ariana have allegedly had an affair. The two reportedly met upon working on the Wicked films in England earlier this year. Lilly and Ethan share one son, who was born in 2022.

Additionally, their rumored dalliance comes amid reports that Ariana and her husband, Dalton Gomez, 27, are headed toward divorce, per TMZ‘s Jul. 17 report. Ari and her estranged spouse tied the knot in May 2021 and reportedly tried to work on their relationship a few months ago but “failed” at their attempt. Most recently, Lilly slammed the Victorious alum on Jul. 26, for her alleged involvement in the drama. “[Ariana’s] the story really. Not a girl’s girl,” Ethan’s ex told Page Six. “My family is just collateral damage. The story is her and Dalton.”