'She was happy in Los Angeles...': Ariana Grande's Heart Translates to Broadway's Ethan Slater After Dalton Gomez Split

"She was happy in Los Angeles..." quintessential pop superstar Ariana Grande is switching Beverly Hills for Broadway as she moves on from husband Dalton Gomez with Ethan Slater. The 30-year-old "Thank U, Next" songstress has reportedly found a new co-star 'offstage' in Slater, who she will be sharing screen space with in the movie adaptation of Wicked, as confirmed by sources to People Magazine.

Is it 'Wicked' Love for Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater?

Both Ariana and Dalton had decided to go their separate ways back in January. "Ariana and Ethan recently began dating, and he is separated from his wife,” one source shared. While TMZ was the first to bring this information to light, reps for both Ariana and Ethan remain elusive with no comments so far.

In Universal's highly anticipated film adaptation of Broadway's beloved musical, Wicked, Ariana is set to bring Glinda to life, while Slater, 31, will step into the shoes of Boq, the romantic interest of Nessarose, Elphaba's sister. The shooting kicked off in the U.K. last year, and the release slated for November 2024 might experience unforeseen delays due to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike.

Ariana's 'No Tears Left to Cry' After Dalton Gomez's Exit?

Sources indicated that her work on the Wicked film partially instigated the split with Dalton Gomez, suggesting that distance made the heart grow fonder, but the marriage tougher. "She was happy in Los Angeles for a couple of years. She wanted to make a life there with Dalton," a source shared. The location of their works was a bone of contention in their relationship. Dalton, a luxury real estate agent based in Los Angeles, needed to stay in L.A owing to his career demands, creating a long-distance challenge once Ariana began filming for Wicked in England. 

However, the story ends on a kind note with the same insider revealing, "Ari has nothing but kind words to say about Dalton. During their marriage, he was her No. 1 fan.”

Enter Slater, also undergoing a separation from Lilly Jay, whom he had married in November 2018 and had a son with. His meteoric rise to fame began with his portrayal of the title role in SpongeBob SquarePants, the musical that earned him a Tony Award nomination in 2018. “It was a stroke of luck,” he told PEOPLE that year. A serendipitous meeting with the show's casting director launched his career sky-high. Little did he know that it would eventually land him in the heart of America's darling pop queen, Ariana Grande. 

(Several parts of the text in this article, including the title, were generated with the help of an AI tool.)