On Thursday, Ariana Grande shared a carousel of photos from her holiday month so far, including a shot of her Christmas decorations that had a sly reference to her boyfriend Ethan Slater. Slater is primarily a musical theater actor who has made many appearances on Broadway. He’s currently starring in the revival of Spamalot at the St. James Theatre in New York City, and Grande evidently has an ornament shaped like a container of SPAM in her collection.
The photos also included shots of Grande hanging out with friends and family, on FaceTime, of her cute dogs, and a few mirror selfies showing off an almost all-black ensemble. The singer was clad in a black miniskirt and tight turtleneck and a pair of knee-high black boots with white lining over sheer black stockings.
On October 31, the singer attended Slater’s play with a friend, before it officially opened on November 16. The couple met on the set of another musical, the film adaptation of Wicked. Grande is playing Glinda, the good witch, while Slater was cast as Boq, a friend from Munchkinland.
Around the time of Spamalot‘s previews, a source told ET that the new couple is “on the same page” and “still very excited about their relationship.”
“Ariana thinks Ethan is ridiculously talented, likes that they can relate to each other and that he challenges her; artistically speaking,” the source said. “Ethan wants the best for Ariana and for themselves as a couple. They support and elevate one another.”
Slater is recently split with his wife Lilly James, with whom he shares a son. The source added that Slater is “invested in developing his relationship with Ariana and her family” and he wants to continue being “a hands-on dad.”
“Ariana’s family is of course, protective of her,” the source continued. “But as long as she is happy and treated well, they will continue to support their relationship.”
Aimée Lutkin is the weekend editor at ELLE.com. Her writing has appeared in Jezebel, Glamour, Marie Claire and more. Her first book, The Lonely Hunter, will be released by Dial Press in February 2022.