Ariana Grande Claims The 'Home-wrecking' Rumors About Her Are All A Misunderstanding
She didn't seem to confirm or deny the rumors.
lev radin / Shutterstock In July 2023, news of Ariana Grande and “Wicked” co-star Ethan Slater’s relationship surfaced, quickly following her separation from Dalton Gomez. That same month, Slater filed for divorce from his wife and high school sweetheart, Lilly Jay.
The media did not take the news well, instantly pointing fingers at Grande for being a homewrecker.
In a recent interview, Grande addressed the ‘home-wrecking’ rumors, claiming they are frustrating and ‘hellish.’
Grande sat down with Zach Sang to discuss the upcoming release of her new album, “Eternal Sunshine,” and her role as Glinda the Good Witch in the musical film, “Wicked,” set to come out in November 2024. Inevitably, the topic of her relationship with Slater came up.
Grande didn’t want to get into specifics of the rumors and discussed the problem with the media twisting the truth to form a narrative for the public’s entertainment instead. “Of course, there's, like, an insatiable frustration, inexplicable hellish feeling, with watching people misunderstand the people you love, and you, and anything,” Grande said.
She claimed tabloids are to blame for creating such a negative image of her, and that she's just been misunderstood.
“This is what the tabloids do to people, especially women, based on whether or not we like the person. We selectively remember that. We selectively leave space for humanness, for nuance… for their friends and their family," Grande added.
Fans have taken to TikTok to discuss the interview, agreeing that the media has damaged Grande's image despite all of her positive attributes.
"She's reintroducing nuance to the conversation and I feel like I was the only one willing to give her some nuance," Patty Pop Culture stated on TikTok.
On the other hand, others have continued to dissect Grande's defense of her actions, when they don't appear to align with her words.
"The narcissism is off the charts... Your ego is the size of Texas," a TikToker who goes by loveverne stated about Grande. "You made this about your existence, your human importance, you also victimized yourself after betraying another woman, and then made it about women — see we're not going to do that. You betrayed the sisterhood."
While the specifics of the rumors are unclear, based on everything we do know, people aren't exactly supportive of Grande and Slater's relationship.
Grande and Slater met in December 2022 onset for "Wicked." Slater plays the character, Boq, who has a crush on Grande's character, Glinda (oh, the irony).
The two appeared to become very close during filming, despite both being married, and Grande even hung out with Slater and his ex in the weeks leading up to news of their controversial relationship.
Jay briefly addressed her split from Slater to Page Six, expressing how her family was in “collateral damage” and claiming Grande is “not a girl’s girl.”
Jay has every right to be upset, having lost her husband and the father to their 1-year-old baby to the pop star, whose notorious behavior seemed to be foreshadowed by her controversial choice of song lyrics.
Despite anonymous sources revealing that Grande and Slater were both single when they began dating, due to the timeline of their relationship following their previous marriages, it seems there was a spark of romance early on.
This is not the first time Grande has been accused of breaking girl code. According to Oh Torch, Rikki Valentina reported a similar situation with Grande showing interest in a taken man back in 2009, and she allegedly showed no remorse for the flawed series of events.
While Grande is not solely responsible for this alleged affair with Slater, and Slater is equally, if not more, responsible for his unfaithful actions, Grande is surely aware that she could take any man away from their partner in a heartbeat. This repetitive behavior implies she is not a victim after all.
Rather than taking accountability or denying the rumors, Grande explained her discomfort with the media’s distasteful coverage of topics designed to stir controversy and public discourse.
Grande seemed to be very cautious with her choice of words during the interview, avoiding any argumentative terms, and instead painting herself as the victim of poor media coverage.
Despite Grande’s frustration surrounding the tabloids and their false narratives, it’s no surprise that the media is slamming her image when she is notoriously known for singing about home-wrecking, and people are not convinced she is innocent due to the way her song lyrics seem to address to the ongoing gossip.
When Grande released the song “Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored” in 2019, the media was charged by the controversial choice of topics to sing about. Nonetheless, if Grande knows how to do one thing, it’s feed the media with a narrative they want to believe. And despite the controversy, the song was successful, hitting Billboard's top 10 music chart the same year.
Grande also alluded to all of the gossip surrounding her life in her recently released song, “Yes, and?” specifically with the line, “Your business is yours and mine is mine. Why do you care so much whose — I ride?”
And as she leaked the tracklist of her "Eternal Sunshine" album in a recent Instagram post, many have taken notice of one song in particular, "The Boy Is Mine," which seemed to touch on the drama surrounding her relationship with Slater.
There is no proof that Grande was a homewrecker, but not everyone is convinced she is innocent.
A seemingly fabricated post on X claiming Page Six has backtracked the rumors has been spreading online, although there is no confirmation that Page Six actually changed their stance on the matter other than a post made by an Ariana Grande fan account.
The post on X, which was made by Ariana World HQ, claimed Page Six stated there is no hard evidence of Grande being a homewrecker in Slater and Jay’s relationship.
While this is true, the timing of her relationship is still a bit off, and it doesn't seem to matter to Grande that she easily stole the heart of a taken man and recent father.
An insider told People that Grande and Slater are still dating, having reportedly moved in together in October 2023, claiming their relationship is much more different than what the media has led the public to believe.
Despite the drama surrounding these rumors, Grande has handled it all with grace and seems to be taking advantage of the headlines to promote the release of her album, which will likely add details and perspective to the situation.
Sadly, the home-wrecker narrative has overshadowed Grande's positive contributions to society.
Outside the controversial rumors, that have followed Grande throughout her career, she has advocated for feminism and spread love through other songs, like "No Tears Left To Cry." She also continues to donate and advocate for charitable organizations focused on animal rights, mental health, and the LGBTQ+ community.
While Grande never outwardly addressed the relationship drama, she did drive the point home that regardless of who she's dating and how they got together, it's really nobody's business to pass judgment.
Suffice it to say, no matter how the public continues to react, Grande's talent is undeniable and her music is wildly successful. And maybe feeding into and profiting off of the gossip through her music and movies is the best way to combat the critics.
Francesca Duarte is a writer on YourTango's news and entertainment team based in Orlando, FL. She covers lifestyle, human-interest, adventure, and spirituality topics.