Ethan Slater's Desperate Attempt to Rekindle Romance with Ariana Grande Falls Flat on Social Media

It looks like Ethan Slater’s back on his Broadway-era PR grind, because if his latest Instagram post is any indication, he’s trying really hard to convince the internet that he and Ariana Grande are still together.

Spoiler alert: no one’s buying it.

The Wicked star took to social media this weekend to share a carousel promoting NBC’s upcoming special Wicked: One Wonderful Night, and guess who magically appeared in the lineup? Yup, our girl Glinda herself, Ms. Grande. 💚

But before you start swooning, let’s just say…this isn’t exactly the grand romantic gesture it looks like.

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The “Everything’s Fine” Instagram Post™ 📸✨

Ethan’s post was pure “please stop asking” energy, a slickly curated mix of Wicked promo, backstage smiles, and just enough Ariana content to spark a thousand think pieces.

In one shot, Ari shines as Glinda, making her big stage entrance (naturally). In another, she’s cozying up with Ethan and their co-star Bowen Yang in a themed photo booth. Everyone’s smiling, everyone’s having fun, everyone’s pretending they don’t read DeuxMoi.

The caption? Something so blandly upbeat it could’ve been drafted by a PR intern mainlining matcha.

And listen, if this was meant to silence breakup rumors, it had the opposite effect. The post practically screamed, “SEE? Look! We’re totally fine! Ignore the reports of toxicity and chaos! Focus on the musical!”

It’s giving “couple project management,” not “couple goals.”

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The Rumors: Trouble In Emerald City 🌪️

Fans have been side-eyeing Ethan and Ari’s relationship for months, and for good reason.

After that whole “oops, I fell for my married co-star” scandal last year, the duo has kept things suspiciously low-key. Paparazzi sightings? None. Joint interviews? Zero. Couple selfies? Ghosted.

And now, insiders are whispering that things behind the scenes have gone from magical to messy.

According to a recent report, their relationship has been “unhealthy” and “on and off for most of the year.” Translation: the honeymoon phase lasted about as long as Ethan’s TikTok relevance.

Even worse? One source described it as “more than a little toxic.” Yikes.

Apparently, things have been so rocky that they’re basically just holding on until Wicked: For Good hits theaters later this month. Because nothing says “true love” like staying together for the promo schedule.

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The Optics: PR Over Passion 💅

Let’s be real, this whole thing feels less like romance and more like damage control.

Ethan dropping a conveniently-timed carousel featuring Ari right before the movie’s release? That’s not PDA. That’s Public Display of Acting.

Even Perez Hilton pointed out the irony: the same insider spilling tea about their “unhealthy” dynamic also said they’d “keep everything looking picture-perfect” until after the Wicked rollout. And like clockwork, here comes the joint photo booth moment.

It’s almost…too on the nose.

You just know somewhere in a studio office, a publicist is saying, “Can we get one post with both their faces in it before premiere week, please?”

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Fans Aren’t Fooled (At All) 😭

The comments on Ethan’s post are basically one giant collective side-eye:

“Posting Glinda to save the PR Glimmer, huh?” — @arianator4lyf

“Bro trying to cast a spell on us like we didn’t read the reports.” — @wickedlypetty

“Nothing says ‘we’re fine’ like a carousel with a coworker and a ghosted girlfriend.” — @teaforlattes

“If this is supposed to prove something, it’s working — I’m more convinced than ever they broke up.” — @chaoticpopculture

It’s giving “soft launch of a breakup” more than “hard launch of love.”

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Ariana, For Her Part, Is Out Here Thriving (Silently) 🌸

While Ethan’s busy playing social media sorcerer, Ariana Grande has been doing what she does best, serving face, staying booked, and keeping everyone guessing.

She recently popped up in a viral pic with Rosé from BLACKPINK, and fans instantly noticed she wasn’t exactly radiating “in love” energy. More like “glowing post-mistake recovery” vibes.

Also? She’s been laser-focused on Wicked: For Good, the movie event of the year, and hasn’t publicly acknowledged Ethan in months. Not even a cheeky comment. Not a like. Not a single “babe” emoji.

For someone who used to post thirst traps and anniversary tributes like it was her side hustle, that silence is deafening.

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The Real Tea: The Musical Must Go On 🎭

Here’s the thing: whether they’re on or off, both Ari and Ethan know that the success of Wicked: For Good is the hill their reputations are about to live or die on.

She’s coming off years of tabloid fatigue and career pivots. He’s the Broadway guy who went from SpongeBob to “homewrecker” overnight.

So yeah, the “we’re still fine, please stream NBC” approach makes perfect sense from a PR perspective. The show must go on, even if the romance has already left the building.

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Honestly, We’ve Seen This Movie Before 🎬

This is classic celebrity damage control 101. The “joint promo appearance” before the rumored split announcement? It’s practically a Hollywood rite of passage.

Ben and J.Lo did it. Taylor and Joe did it (by not doing it). Even Kim and Kanye pulled a few staged smiles before it all went south.

So when Ethan posts a Wicked carousel trying to “prove” everything’s great…yeah. It’s not giving proof. It’s giving panic.

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TL;DR: The Love Story’s Looking More Wicked Than Whimsical 💔

Let’s summarize this enchanted mess:

• Ethan Slater tried to shut down breakup rumors with a suspiciously timed Wicked promo post featuring Ariana Grande.
• Insiders claim the relationship has been “toxic” and “on and off” all year.
• Fans aren’t buying the PR spin; calling the post “fake happy” and “a soft breakup announcement.”
• Ari’s staying quiet, stunning, and very much unbothered.
• Wicked: For Good premieres November 21, and at this point, that might be the couple’s actual finale.

So yeah. If Ethan thought a few Instagram photos could silence the breakup buzz, he clearly underestimated the power of the internet and the fact that Arianators can smell PR stunts from a mile away.

At this point, we’re not saying it’s over. But if your boyfriend has to post a carousel to prove you’re still together, it’s definitely not giving happily ever after. 💔💚