Ethan Slater says seeing speculation about Ariana Grande’s relationship has been “difficult.”

Ethan Slater is open about the effect that rumors about his relationship with his girlfriend have Ariana Grande had on him.

In a new interview with GQ published on Wednesday, October 30, the 32-year-old actor and singer reflected on his “beautiful” connection with Grande, 31, on the set of Bad.

But on the other hand, “I think there was something very difficult about having things in your private life commented on and viewed by the public,” Slater said.

According to the Broadway vet“There were a lot of big changes in private lives that actually happened, so it’s very difficult to have people who don’t know anything about what’s happening comment and speculate and then get things wrong about the people you love.” . “

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“But obviously it’s been a great year and a really beautiful thing,” he added of his relationship with Grande, “and I’m just really excited.”

As Slater told the interviewer, “Some of the hard parts you’re talking about are personal life matters that everyone in the world is going through. And so I’m really focused on the real people in my life, who these things affect, and doing the right thing for each real person and not for the Twitter people commenting on it.

As for Badthe first part of which hits theaters next month: “I’m just really proud of Ari and the work she’s done on this,” he raved about his girlfriend, who plays Glinda opposite Slater’s Boq.

“She threw herself into it,” Slater continued. “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, when the world gets to see what an amazing thing she did.”

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Grande and Slater’s romance was confirmed in July 2023after they met on the set of Bad. This came next Grande divorced from her now ex-husband, Dalton GomezAnd Slater broke up from his now ex-wife, Lilly Jaywith whom he shares one son, 2.

Speaking in an interview with Vanity fair On September 30, Grande revealed that she was disappointed by the public perception of Slater: “The most disappointing thing was seeing so many people believing the worst version of it.”

“There couldn’t be a less accurate representation of a human being than the one the tabloids spread about him,” the actress and singer added. “No one on this earth tries harder or spreads themselves thinner to be there for the people they love and care about.”

“There is no one on this earth with a better heart, and that is something that no tabloid can rewrite in real life,” Grande said.

Bad hits theaters on November 22, with Bad part two scheduled for November 21, 2025.