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Ariana Grande appears to be back on the market. According to TMZ, sources with direct knowledge to her love life have linked her with one of her “Wicked” costars.
Grande has been linked with Ethan Slater, a Broadway actor primarily known for his role as Spongebob in the “Spongebob Squarepants” musical, which earned him a Tony nomination. TMZ claims the two have been dating for several months after meeting in the set of “Wicked,” the film that Grande is co-starring and has been in production since last December. Grande plays the role of Glinda while Slater plays the role of Boq, the love interest of Elphaba’s (the film’s lead, played by Cynthia Erivo) sister.
Slater, 31, was previously in a relationship with singer Lily Jay, who was also his high school sweetheart. The two were married in 2018 and had a son last year.
“She and Ethan recently began dating, and he is separated from his wife,” said a source to PEOPLE.
Grande and her ex Dalton Gomez appear to have broken up in January of this year. Despite the rupture, it seems like the two remain friends and are in contact. Gomez has also been dating over the past year.
An insider claims Grande’s work in “Wicked” and the distance that prompted between herself and Gomez was one of the reasons for the rupture. “She was happy in Los Angeles for a couple of years. She wanted to make a life there with Dalton,” said a source to PEOPLE. “He is super focused on his career and needs to live in Los Angeles. It’s definitely been an issue for them. Dalton’s career is demanding and he can’t leave Los Angeles often. So when [Grande] started filming Wicked in England, they were in for a long-distance marriage.”
