Ethan Slater has opened up about his private and controversial romance with pop star Ariana Grande.
The Broadway actor met and "fell in love" with his co-star Grande while filming their upcoming movie Wicked, an adaptation of the 2003 musical.
Now, in a new interview with GQ, Slater admitted it was "difficult" seeing people speculate about their relationship.
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Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater met while filming Wicked. (Instagram/ michelleyeoh_official)"Obviously, it was a really super big year," the actor, who rose to fame playing SpongeBob SquarePants in the Broadway musical, told the outlet.
"I think there was something that was really difficult about things in your private life being commented on and looked at by the public.
"There were a lot of big changes in private lives that were really happening, so it's really hard to see people who don't know anything about what's happening commenting on it and speculating, and then getting things wrong about the people you love.
"So just to address that part of it, that feels really hard."
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Marissa Bode and Slater in Wicked (Universal Pictures)Grande spoke about the negative public perception of their relationship as disappointing in an interview with Vanity Fair, calling it a "tough ride".
It was first reported in July 2023 that Slater and Grande were dating following their respective splits from their spouses.
Grande was previously married to Dalton Gomez, while Slater had welcomed his first child with wife Lilly Jay in 2022.
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The timeline of the co-stars' romance sparked controversy and rumours of an affair.
This was further fuelled when Slater's estranged wife spoke out about the reports and said her family were "collateral damage."
Despite the hardships, Slater said it was "an amazing year and a really beautiful thing."
He later gushed about Grande's work in the movie.
Grande as Glinda in Wicked. (Universal Pictures)The pop star plays the iconic pink-clad Glinda the Good Witch of the South in the movie while Slater stars as her classmate Boq, who develops a crush on her.
"I'm really proud that I got to be there for that part of it, and I'm really excited to be there for this next step of it when the world gets to see the amazing thing that she did."
Wicked is set to release in two parts, with the first instalment coming out in Australian cinemas on November 21.
Ahead of the movie release, Grande and some of her Wicked co-stars will head to Sydney for an Aussie premiere on November 3.
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