The Signs Ariana Grande And Ethan Slater Are About To Split (If They Haven't Already)

On the seemingly never-ending press tour for "Wicked" and "Wicked: For Good," co-stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande have mainly been front and center. While this tracks for the dynamic duo, there's a lone figure lurking in the shadows who's causing a bit of drama: Ethan Slater, Grande's boyfriend, has been keeping his distance from her on the red carpet. Considering that Grande and Slater's relationship started in a murky controversy, with both of them married to other people when they met, it would make sense to try and tone things down on such a public stage. However, the vibes have consistently felt off between the couple during "Wicked: For Good" premieres, suggesting that there just might be trouble in paradise.

Not only have they been seemingly avoiding taking photos together, but their social media accounts have appeared distant. In a collection of candid snaps from the London premiere that Grande posted to her Instagram on November 11, a photo of her and Slater is buried at number 15 on the carousel of 20. Plus, the photo isn't just of the two of them; fellow theater kid Danny Skinner joins them in a group side hug. Notably, Grande is showing more physical affection to co-star Erivo than to her own boyfriend in many of the images. While the bond between Erivo and the "7 Rings" singer has been gravity-defying, it might not be enough to keep the breakup rumors from hitting Grande and Slater.

Both Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater have more or less maintained that they're still together, with their personal privacy the main reason for their refusal to be photographed together. Several sources told TMZ that the duo are "just private people and want the focus to be on their movie." However, this is beginning to feel like yet another red flag in the relationship between Grande and Slater.

Throughout much of the relationship, Grande has bobbed and weaved in interviews in attempts to avoid the subject. More often, she supports the notion that she simply wants to keep her personal life to herself. On November 5, she told The New York Times that being so in the public eye, "stripped a lot of joy out of this for me." Of course, wanting privacy is a very normal desire, but considering all the drama around her relationship with Slater, some parts of this response don't seem to line up.

For his part, Slater has also dodged the question. In a "Today" show interview on November 21, the Broadway star ended up discussing his fondness for the entire cast when asked what it was like working with his paramour. He then stated, "We filmed it years ago," alluding to the time when he and Grande allegedly began their romance while on set together. This phrase feels a bit telling, as so much time has passed since they first fell in love, and feels out of line with how Slater has described their romance in the past.