Speculation about the status of Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater's relationship reached a new fever pitch after the actor avoided directly answering a question about his girlfriend during an interview on the 'Today' show.

The awkward situation arose when co-host Craig Melvin asked Slater how he felt about “working with his girlfriend every day” on the movie 'Wicked: For Good'. Instead of addressing the issue, Slater, 33, redirected the topic to the cast as a whole, stating, “The entire cast… is incredible.” While the actor acknowledged that Grande, 32, is a “brilliant” actress, he also heaped praise on her co-star, Cynthia Erivo, calling her “extraordinary.” Slater described the experience of watching Grande and Erivo portray Glinda and Elphaba as “something very special” and emphasized how proud he is of the entire team, whom he considers “like family.” These cryptic responses come at a time when rumors of a possible breakup between the pair have intensified, especially as they have kept their distance at recent public appearances and on red carpets. It is worth noting that earlier this month, Slater shared a photo of the Grammy winner in a Instagram carousel, but showed no signs of affection toward Grande.

The relationship between Grande and Slater began to be the subject of speculation in July 2023, shortly after the actor filed for divorce from his wife Lilly Jay, with whom he has a 3-year-old son. For her part, Grande also ended her marriage to real estate agent Dalton Gomez around the same time.

Despite the rumors, the two have publicly shown support at events such as the 2025 Oscars, where they were seen embracing. However, Slater's recent evasive attitude on 'Today' has left many wondering if the relationship has come to an end.

So far, representatives for both artists have not issued official statements on the matter.