Broadway star Ethan Slater has changed his Instagram profile to private amid reports that he and his “Wicked” co-star Ariana Grande are romantically involved.

On 20 July, just days after it was revealed that Grande, 30, and her husband of nearly two years, Dalton Gomez, 28, had separated, People reported that the singer had begun dating Slater.

“Ariana and Dalton separated in January,” a source told the outlet. “She and Ethan recently began dating, and he is separated from his wife.”

Another source told Entertainment Tonight that the co-stars “have a lot in common” and “didn’t start dating until both were broken up with their significant others”.

Slater has been married to his wife, Lilly Jay, since 2018, with the actor revealing on Instagram in January 2023 that the couple had welcomed a son together. According to People, Slater and Jay welcomed a son named Ezra in August 2022. On Mother’s Day, the actor dedicated a post to Jay, in which he described her as the “most loving, caring and wonderful mom/person in the world”.

In another post, Slater described Jay as his “best friend” while reflecting on their 10-year relationship. Both of Slater’s Instagram posts were liked by Grande.

“My best friend. Four years married, 10 years together. And this is easily the best (and most *bizarre*) year yet,” Slater captioned the anniversary post. It is not clear when Slater and Jay separated.

The “7 Rings” singer’s apparent past support of Slater’s relationship with Jay sparked concern on social media, with many of Grande’s fans questioning the alleged relationship timeline between the “Wicked” co-stars.

“How would you feel knowing your ex’s new thing liked the Mother’s Day post he made for you TWO MONTHS AGO,” one person tweeted, alongside a screenshot of Slater’s Instagram tribute to Jay.

Another said: “I’d vomit non-stop if I were the wife. This is Ariana Grande’s new man Ethan Slater. He just had his kid last year with his wife he’d been together with for 10 YEARS. ARIANA GRANDE EVEN LIKED THESE PHOTOS.”

“Ariana Grande ‘liking’ Ethan Slater’s Instagram post about his wife and their brand new baby back in May…. to Ariana and Ethan’s dating announcement today…. something doesn’t smell right,” someone else tweeted. 

Others claimed Slater’s decision to make his Instagram private amid the speculation “confirmed” the rumoured romance between him and Grande.

“So he basically confirmed it,” one person claimed, while another said: “It’s definitely true, he could have simply denied it.”

As of now, neither Slater nor Grande has commented on the romance speculation.

However, others have taken to social media to defend Slater’s decision to make his Instagram private, with many pointing out that the actor’s posts had been inundated with comments from Grande’s fans amid the dating reports.

“Ok new concept. Y’all ready? How about if people just leave them alone,” one person tweeted.

Another said: “I’ll never understand why some fans keep treating celebrities like they own their lives. Ariana is an adult woman, she has the right to date whoever she wants to.”

“I don’t blame him; I’ve already seen the nastiest comments,” someone else wrote.

Grande is set to play Glinda in the film adaptation of “Wicked,” while Slater will play Boq, the love interest of Elphaba’s sister Nessarose.

The Independent has contacted representatives for Grande and Slater for comment.

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