Awkward Ariana Grande & Ethan Slater Moments We Can't Ignore

Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater have been seen together in public quite a lot since their relationship began when they were filming the "Wicked" movies together in 2023. They reportedly split from their respective spouses shortly before they started dating, so the timeline has always been controversial. Among the many red flags in their romantic relationship, the former "SpongeBob SquarePants" star had a wife, Lilly Jay, and a new baby when he met the "Thank U, Next" singer, so maybe that's why Slater and Grande look awkward in nearly every photo that they take together.

"The most disappointing part was to see so many people believe the worst version of it," Grande told Vanity Fair of the spectacle that was made of her relationship with Slater. She said the tabloid stories that depicted him as a cheater who abandoned his child got the story wrong. Although she didn't go into details, she said of Slater, "There is no one on this earth with a better heart, and that is something that no bulls*** tabloid can rewrite in real life." It's a sweet sentiment, and they might be in love, but that doesn't change the fact that they often look very uncomfortable in public together.

Ariana Grande has awkwardly shut her eyes while posing with Ethan Slater more than once, like at the 2025 Critics' Choice Awards on February 7, where Grande appeared to be getting some real shut-eye as Slater posed stoically beside her. We're not sure if she meant to close her eyes as if she's feeling blissful, or if she just fully blinked at the wrong moment. The random guy smiling awkwardly next to them didn't make the photo any less weird. Perhaps the photographer took another shot, not that it matters — this one was published everywhere.

Ariana Grande had a similar photo fail just a month before the Critics' Choice Awards, this time at The National Board of Review Annual Awards Gala on January 07, 2025. Again, her boyfriend, Ethan Slater, looked uncomfortable next to her. It's possible he didn't see that her eyes were closed, so he's not at fault for not telling her, but her perpetual blink, combined with how cringe he looked, made for another very weird moment.

Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater have had some odd red carpet moments together, like when she fixed his crooked bowtie at the "Wicked" premiere in L.A. in 2024. To be honest, he looked like a little boy being dressed by his mother. That vibe carried through to an awkward half-hug when Grande reached out to touch Slater's side before they moved in to hug each other, giving "distant relative" vibes during their quick embrace.

When rumors of Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater's relationship began circulating, people could not stop talking about how mismatched they were. She's a beautiful and rich pop star who played Glinda, a good, glorious witch. He's a slight, red-headed Broadway star who has portrayed SpongeBob SquarePants and a Munchkin. They're an undeniably strange match with heavy "out of her league" vibes, which was made utterly obvious when Slater posted a behind-the-scenes snapshot on Instagram in full Munchkin costume. Dressed as Glinda, Grande leaned into the picture with a lollipop sticking out of her mouth, looking like another person's partner altogether.

There are plenty of just plain weird photographs of Ethan Slater and Ariana Grande together, but some of them are weird in a good way. In his behind-the-scenes photographs of "Wicked" on Instagram, Slater posted a photo posing with Grande and Cynthia Erivo that was both strange and wonderful. In the image, the co-stars posed together in the woods, with everyone wearing sunglasses and eccentric outfits. Erivo wore a whimsical black and gray sweater, Grande wore a pink puffy jacket, and Slater wore overalls. It was totally silly, but it actually worked.