Ariana Grande is dancing by life — and Ethan Slater is right here for it.
The 32-year-old lately spoke about his girlfriend, 31, and costar Cynthia Erivo’s emotional press tour for “Wicked” and their highly-praised performing chops.
“They wear their heart on their sleeves, you know? Their ability to be so connected to their emotions in this way allows for their characters to be so complicated and so nuanced,” Slater stated throughout an interview on SiriusXM Hits 1 on Friday.
Grande stars as Glinda the Good Witch within the two-part film musical, whereas Erivo, 37, performs Elphaba, the Depraved Witch of the West. The pair has been showcasing their shut bond throughout interviews by holding palms and shedding tears. Though candy, some critics have labeled the interactions as cringey.
Slater, who performs Boq within the movie, continued, “And I love this Glinda who is trying to figure out how to be a good person, and I love this Elphaba who is trying to figure out how to fit in. They are so deeply connected to the journeys of these women.”
The “SpongeBob Squarepants” alum famous that their emotional depth has made their interviews so poignant.
“‘Wicked’ is like, so fun, but Cynthia and Ariana are like, you know, holding hands and crying,” he went on.
“But I think it’s because both of those things are true. Like, both of them exist.”
The musical theater vet took a second to gush over his different half, sharing, “One of my favorite things about Ariana’s performance is that they really exist in the same moment. She can be like the best physical comedian you’ve ever seen on screen and also be so torn and conflicted about her relationship with Elphaba and so it’s a real privilege to see up close.”
Grande and Slater first sparked romance rumors in 2023, simply days after information broke that the pop star’s marriage to Dalton Gomez was over.
It was then reveled that Slater had filed for divorce from his highschool sweetheart Lilly Jay, with whom he shares a 2-year-old son.
The 2 have continued to maintain their romance out of the general public eye, however lately made a candy getaway collectively to observe “Wicked” with Grande’s grandmother, Marjorie, in Boca Raton, Florida.
Previous to their journey, Grande and Erivo made headlines for a viral interview second with Out Journal’s Tracy E. Gilchrist.
The reporter advised Erivo and Grande that some viewers “are holding space” with the lyrics of “Defying Gravity,” which sparked an emotional response from the “Harriet” alum.
“I didn’t know that was happening. That’s really powerful,” responded Erivo, as Grande reached over and clutched her co-star’s index finger.
Gilchrist has since been mocked by the web for creating the utterly nonsensical phrase, however advised Selection on Monday that the interview was carried out a day and a half after the Nov. 5 presidential election, and that she went into the sit-down with “sincere” intentions.
The journalist additionally defined her private definition for “holding space.”
“I was very inspired by [senior communications director] Tony Morrison from GLAAD,” she advised the outlet. “He posted the lyrics of ‘Defying Gravity’ before I did my interview. It was a great explainer. ‘Holding space’ is being physically, emotionally and mentally present with someone or something. For me, it means being in the moment, not being distracted and feeling something on a cellular level.”
“I think you can hold space with lyrics of a song — one you’ve heard hundreds of times — and it can suddenly take on new meaning when you’re a queer person,” Gilchrist continued.
“The Trump administration is targeting LGBTQ+ people via Project 2025. When Cynthia sings ‘I’m through accepting limits,’ there’s power in that. She plays a character who is othered. One who comes to her full power when she is exiled by a charlatan, by a cruel leader.”
The media character concluded: “There’s a lot of resonance there right now for anyone who is marginalized. For me, holding space is listening to those lyrics anew and finding solace or inspiration.”
