Ariana Grande shares rare PDA moment with boyfriend Ethan Slater at Wicked premiere

Ariana Grande showed off her boyfriend and Wicked co-star Ethan Slater at Thursday night’s big premiere with a rare public display of affection.

The popstar-turned-movie star, 31, stepped out onto the red carpet for the big screen adaptation of the legendary Broadway Wizard of Oz musical.

Set many years before the events of the classic 1939 Judy Garland film, Wicked picks up as Elphaba Thropp (Cynthia Erivo) meet’s Ariana’s Galinda Upland at Shiz University.

In the magical land of Oz, Wicked tells the story of Elphaba and Galinda’s unlikely friendship and explains how Elphaba came to be known as the Wicked Witch.

The film’s production was hit by rampant speculation in 2023 when Ariana and Ethan, 30, met each other on the London set and appeared to start a relationship behind the scenes.

It was later confirmed that both Wicked stars had left their previous partners, with the pair’s divorces both finalised earlier this year ahead of the film’s big unveiling.

With that controversy now in the past and with Wicked set for its worldwide release on November 22, Ariana and Ethan looked proud of their budding romance.

The No Tears Left to Cry singer wore a glamorous pink strapless gown, while Ethan looked Hollywood ready in a midnight blue suit and black tie.

Amid the crowds on the red carpet, the couple shared a warm and intimate moment, with Ariana leaning in for a tender hug from Ethan.

The actor, who has made his name in theatre after working in productions like Spamalot and The SpongeBob Musical, will play munchkin Boq Woodsman in the film.

Ethan closed his eyes for a moment as they embraced, and appeared to whisper something sweet in Ariana’s ear as they continued to pose for photographers.

Ariana was also accompanied on the red carpet by her co-star Cynthia, with the on-screen best friends arriving together – they were arm-in-arm as they walked past photographers.

Wearing a netted veil over her head, Cynthia wowed in a stunning black dress before, before the cameras turned their attention to Ariana and Ethan.

The superstar pair first met on the Wicked set in 2022, with Ethan filing for divorce from his childhood sweetheart Lilly Jay – five years after they tied the knot.

Lilly gave birth to the couple’s son in 2022, just a few months before meeting Ariana, and told Page Six that her new family was ‘just collateral damage’.

She continued on, saying ‘[Ariana’s] the story really. Not a girl’s girl. The story is her and Dalton,’ referencing the Thank U, Next hitmaker’s divorce from her husband at the time.

Reports earlier this month have indicated that Ariana will be going by her full name, Ariana Grande-Butera, in the credits for the upcoming movie.

She told Justin Hill on The Streaming Service podcast: ‘Technically it’s my little girl name – it’s technically little Ari name – but no, I just feel like this experience was such a homecoming for me.’

Ariana recently patched things up with her dad, Edward Butera, after admitting to ‘losing contact’ back in 2014.

Watch Wicked in cinemas from November 22.

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