Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater Were Super Affectionate During a Rare Date Night

Ariana Grande, Ethan Slater, and other members of the Wicked cast and crew stepped out last night for The National Board of Review Annual Awards Gala at Cipriani in New York City—and Grande and Slater, who have been an official couple since late December 2023, seemed to be completely inseparable all evening.

The pair were pictured sitting side by side at a table during the dinner portion of the evening, where they greeted other stars like Nicole Kidman and Kieran Culkin. They also stood arm in arm while taking photos with the rest of the cast and crew.

After straying from her typical Glinda-coded method dressing for the Golden Globes on Sunday, Grande returned to bubblegum pink for the occasion. Her custom Loewe satin gown featured a square-shaped bodice, a fitted waist, and a strappy open back. She wrapped a matching shawl around her shoulders and sported white round-toe pumps. She stuck with the Audrey Hepburn-inspired honey blonde ponytail with micro side-swept bangs that she debuted at the Golden Globes.

Grande and Slater met in 2023 while filming Wicked. By July of that year, Grande, who was married to Dalton Gomez at the time, was spotted without her wedding ring at Wimbledon and it was later confirmed that the pair had split. A few days later, it was confirmed that she and Slater were dating. Slater also ended a marriage when he began the relationship.

Grande has, for the most part, kept details about her relationship with Slater private. In September, she spoke about Slater for the first time, telling Vanity Fair that she wouldn't “go into certain details” about it. She added, “The most disappointing part was to see so many people believe the worst version of it. That was definitely a tough ride.”

Slater's ex-wife recently penned an essay for The Cut about the difficulties of ending a marriage to a high-profile star. "No one gets married thinking they’ll get divorced, in the same way we don’t board a plane expecting to crash," she wrote. "But I really never thought I would get divorced. Especially not just after giving birth to my first child and especially not in the shadow of my husband’s new relationship with a celebrity."

Throughout the Wicked press tour, Grande and Slater have made a few joint appearances on the red carpet. In November, Grande was pictured adjusting Slater's tie during the L.A. premiere. A few days later, they hugged on the red carpet during the New York premiere. According to a source who spoke to Us Weekly, the press tour only brought them closer together. "The Wicked press tour made their relationship ever stronger, and Ariana is over the moon about Ethan,” the source said. “They have so much in common, which is something Ari never had with past relationships.”

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