Ariana Grande’s boyfriend Ethan Slater reacts to the Wicked co-star New look and her relationship with Cynthia Erivo after the emotional Wicked interviews: ‘I have really tried to… See more

Ariana Grande’s boyfriend Ethan Slater recently shared his thoughts on the heartfelt interviews the pop star has been giving alongside her Wicked co-star Cynthia Erivo in the lead-up to the film’s highly anticipated release.

Ariana, who plays Glinda, and Cynthia, who portrays Elphaba, have been showcasing the deep bond they formed during production — sometimes even holding hands and shedding tears during interviews.

Ethan, who recently took an embarrassing tumble, spoke on SiriusXM Hits 1 on Friday, commenting, ‘They wear their heart on their sleeves, you know? Their ability to be so connected to their emotions in this way allows for their characters to be so complicated and so nuanced.’

He went on to explain how he feels about their performances: ‘And I love this Glinda who is trying to figure out how to be a good person, and I love this Elphaba who is trying to figure out how to fit in. They are so deeply connected to the journeys of these women.’

Ethan, who plays Boq in the film, believes this emotional depth is what makes their interviews so poignant, saying, ‘Wicked is like, so fun, but Cynthia and Ariana are like, you know, holding hands and crying.

‘But I think it’s because both of those things are true. Like, both of them exist.’

Gushing about his girlfriend, he added, ‘And one of my favorite things about Ariana’s performance is that they really exist in the same moment. She can be like the best physical comedian you’ve ever seen on screen and also be so torn and conflicted about her relationship with Elphaba and so it’s a real privilege to see up close.’

The news of Ariana’s relationship with Ethan first emerged in mid-2023, just days after it was reported that her marriage to Dalton Gomez had ended.

Shortly after that, it was revealed that Slater, 32, had filed for divorce from his high school sweetheart Lilly Jay, with whom he shares a young child.

In a recent interview with GQ, Slater opened up about his romance with the 31-year-old pop star, sharing what it was like to fall in love while working on the highly anticipated Wicked film adaptation.

‘Obviously, it was a really super big year,’ the Broadway star said, acknowledging the whirlwind of events in both his and Ariana’s lives.

Slater admitted that the intense public scrutiny of his private life was challenging.

‘I think there was something that was really difficult about things in your private life being commented on and looked at by the public,’ he explained.

The actor, best known for his role in SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical (2018), confessed that the constant speculation was ‘really hard.’

‘It’s really hard to see people who don’t know anything about what’s happening commenting on it and speculating, and then getting things wrong about the people you love,’ he told GQ.

Despite the overwhelming attention and judgment, Slater described the year as ultimately ‘amazing.’

‘I’m just really excited,’ he gushed, describing the experience of falling in love on set as a ‘beautiful thing.’

He expressed how proud he is of Ariana’s work, noting, ‘I’m just really, really proud of Ari and the work she’s done on this.’

‘I’m really excited to be there for this next step of it when the world gets to see the amazing thing that she did,’ he said.

Wicked is now playing in theaters.