Ariana Grande has finally addressed the controversy she has faced for dating her Wicked co-star, Ethan Slater, in a candid interview with Vanity Fair which was published on Monday, September 30th.
In the interview, the 31-year-old “Thank U, Next” singer slammed the “disreputable tabloids” for branding her a “home wrecker,” and seemingly maintained that she did not start dating the 32-year-old SpongeBob Musical: Live on Stage! actor while he was still with high school sweetheart Lilly Jay.
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Ariana Grande Discusses The Media's Portrayal Of Her Relationship With Ethan Slater In 'Vanity Fair' Interview
The "We Can't Be Friends" singer was married to Dalton Gomez when she began filming Wicked, while the Redheads Anonymous star was married to Jay, with whom he also shares a two-year-old son. However, People reported last year that the Wicked co-stars had split from their respective spouses in 2023 before they started dating each other, although the press and social media thought otherwise.
"It definitely doesn't get any easier, seeing some of the negativity that was birthed by disreputable tabloids," the "Positions" hitmaker told Vanity Fair about the home wrecker accusations.
"Of course, I went through a lot of life changes during the filming of this movie. A lot of people that were working on it did. We were away for two years," she continued. "So, of course, I understand why it was a field day for the tabloids to sort of create something that paid their bills."
Ariana Grande Defends Boyfriend Ethan Slater
The "Into You" singer told the pub that she "will never go into certain details" about their relationship, but has maintained that it isn't as scandalous as the tabloids made out. We think that's her way of trying to say that both she and Ethan had split with their respective spouses before anything happened between them, and they did *not* cheat!
"The most disappointing part was to see so many people believe the worst version of it," the Victorious alum continued, before going on to defend her boyfriend, who also faced his fair share of criticism for seemingly abandoning his wife and young child for the "7 Rings" singer.
"There couldn't be a less accurate depiction of a human being than the one that the tabloids spread about him," Grande said in Slater's defense, adding: "No one on this earth tries harder or spreads themselves thinner to be there for the people that he loves and cares about."
Ariana Grande Claims The Tabloids Have Been 'Trying To Destroy' Her Since She Was 19
The "Boy Is Mine" singer continued to slam the media, and said that it "doesn't get any easier" dealing with the "negativity that was birthed by disreputable tabloids" which she said have "been trying to destroy" her since she was 19 years old.
"I'm 31 years old and I'm not a perfect person, but I am definitely deeply good, and I'm proud of who I'm becoming," Grande told the pub. She added: "I will never let disreputable evil tabloids ruin my life or my perception of what is real and good."
