Ariana Grande sends shoutout to boyfriend Ethan Slater’ after relationship ‘rough patch’

Ariana Grande is celebrating her boyfriend Ethan Slater’s latest career achievement after the challenges they faced together in their relationship.

The 32-year-old pop star took to her Instagram Story on Sunday to praise the 33-year-old actor, writing she was “so very proud” of him. 

“Congratulations on a beautiful run of this very beautiful show,” she shared along with a butterfly emoji and two hearts, and reposted a photo of Slater’s theater production.

Slater has been performing off-Broadway in Marcel on the Train, a play he co-wrote that tells the story of 20th-century French mime Marcel Marceau during World War II. The production ran from February 5 through this week.

Grande and Slater, who met on the set of the two-part Wicked musical adaptation films, made their relationship public in July 2023 after both filed for divorce from their respective spouses. Grande starred as Glinda the Good Witch while Slater played Boq in the films.

The recent celebration comes after the couple hit a “rough patch” late last year. While they never formally broke up, it was unclear at one point if the relationship would survive. 

"Ariana and Ethan hit a rough patch towards the end of last year,” a source told the Daily Mail. "They never broke up, but it was questionable at a point if they were going to continue moving forward."

The insider continued, “They’ve really spent time working on their relationship and are in a much better place. It’s been hard for them with the way their relationship began, but they seem to really, truly love each other.”

The source added that Slater’s support for Grande’s Saturday Night Live appearances and their time spent with her family over the holidays hint that the couple is in a better place.