Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater were seen having dinner together in New York City.
The two were seen having dinner at the MO Lounge, located inside the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Manhattan on Saturday 21 October, according to TMZ, which reports they spent over two hours talking to each other at a private corner table.
The date night comes after the singer’s divorce from Dalton Gomez was finalised earlier this month.
The outlet reported that the couple was having drinks and didn’t appear too concerned over being caught with public displays of affection as Grande kept continuously getting up from her seat across from Slater to sit directly beside him as well as whispering in his ear.
This date comes less than one month after Grande and Slater were spotted out with a group of friends at Disneyland for the first time since their respective divorces were both announced. In the video obtained by TMZ, the Wicked co-stars were seen enjoying time with friends as they were given a tour from a theme park guide.
A source told People: “They went with a big group of friends as well [as] her mom and brother,” and noted that the pop star, 30, and the Tony nominee, 31, are “really happy and really good for each other”.
Despite fan backlash towards their relationship, the source continued: “All of her friends love him.” Their relationship has reportedly remained strong in the face of negative media coverage.
A friend of the couple stressed to the outlet: “While this entire situation has been blown out of proportion, it’s much different than what has been portrayed in public.”The source added: “They are just trying to navigate their new relationship in private.”
The “Positions” singer reportedly filed for divorce from her luxury real estate agent husband, 28, on 18 September, and Gomez immediately filed a response, according to People.
The divorce filings came after news of the couple’s separation circulated in July, with a source telling the outlet that the couple was “taking their time together to slowly work through the details of the agreement privately”.
The source called their uncoupling “kind and patient” and noted: “They’ve been really caring and respectful of one another through every step of this process.” The couple separated on 20 February of this year to the surprise of many. But according to insiders, it was a long time coming.
Their marriage allegedly “didn’t work” once the Grammy winner began to film for Wicked in London, and their relationship became long-distance. The insider stressed that the separation was nothing but amicable, and that “Ari has nothing but kind words to say about Dalton”. “During their marriage, he was her number one fan,” they alleged.
The “thank u, next” singer is set to star as Glinda, and Slater will be playing Boq in the film adaptation of the beloved Broadway musical, Wicked. The story will be separated into two movies, and the production already began filming in 2022.
Following news of Grande and Gomez’s separation, it was revealed that Grande was dating her Wicked co-star. Slater was also reportedly separated from his wife and high school sweetheart Lilly Jay, with who he welcomed a son in August 2022.
Slater filed for divorce from Jay in July, but the timelines of both separations and their relationship have raised some eyebrows, with Jay fueling these speculations when she spoke with Page Six. “[Ariana’s] the story, really. Not a girl’s girl,” Jay told the outlet. “My family is just collateral damage.”
