Ariana Grande defends Ethan Slater, slams 'evil' tabloids for relationship coverage

Ariana Grande is speaking out in defense of her boyfriend Ethan Slater.

In a Vanity Fair story published Monday, the "Eternal Sunshine" singer, 31, slammed tabloid coverage of her and Slater, her boyfriend and co-star in the upcoming "Wicked" movie. Last year, it was revealed that Grande and Slater had both separated from their spouses and were in a relationship, leading to speculation that cheating had occurred. People magazine reported that Grande and Slater did not begin dating until after both of their separations.

"Of course, I went through a lot of life changes during the filming of this movie," Grande told Vanity Fair. "A lot of people that were working on it did. We were away for two years. So, of course, I understand why it was a field day for the tabloids to sort of create something that paid their bills."

While Grande said she will "never go into certain details" about her relationship with Slater, she said the "most disappointing part" of the situation was seeing "so many people believe the worst version of it."

"That was definitely a tough ride," she added. Speaking in defense of Slater, the Grammy-winner said there "couldn't be a less accurate depiction of a human being than the one that the tabloids spread about him."

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"No one on this earth tries harder or spreads themselves thinner to be there for the people that he loves and cares about," she said. "There is no one on this earth with a better heart, and that is something that no (expletive) tabloid can rewrite in real life."

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Grande also told the magazine it "doesn't get any easier" dealing with the "negativity that was birthed by disreputable tabloids," which she alleged have "been trying to destroy me" since she was 19.

"I'm 31 years old and I'm not a perfect person, but I am definitely deeply good, and I'm proud of who I’m becoming," she said. "I will never let disreputable evil tabloids ruin my life or my perception of what is real and good."

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Grande married Dalton Gomez in 2021 and filed for divorce in 2023. The two finalized the divorce in March. Slater, meanwhile, married Lilly Jay in 2018, and they finalized their divorce this year. Slater stars as Boq, a Munchkin, in the movie, while Grande plays Galinda.

Since his divorce from Grande, Gomez has started dating actress Maika Monroe, and the two made their relationship Instagram official in June.