Ethan Slater was right by Ariana Grande’s side as she returned to host Saturday Night Live.
The Broadway actor, 33, was spotted celebrating Grande backstage during her hosting gig on SNL on Saturday, December 20. The moment came via Instagram, where Elizabeth Gillies — one of Grande’s longtime friends — shared photos from inside the pop star’s dressing room.
In one snapshot, Slater sat casually on the edge of a couch alongside friends as they gathered to celebrate Grande’s night. Another image showed Slater seated next to Grande, 32, as the group raised glasses filled with bubbles in a toast, marking the milestone moment.
Gillies, who starred with Grande in the Broadway musical 13, captioned the carousel with a heartfelt message: “Nobody does it like you, dingus. What a treat it is to watch you use your many talents and gifts and use them so effortlessly well. Another brilliant episode.”
Grande quickly showed her love in the comments, replying, “I love you so much 🥹,” while fans zeroed in on Slater’s appearance in the background. “Ethannnn!” one follower wrote, while another joked, “Ethan????? so does that mean…???”
Grande and Slater first sparked romance rumors in July 2023 after starring together in Wicked. The two began dating following separate divorces and have largely kept their relationship out of the spotlight ever since. Still, they’ve been spotted together at a handful of major events, including the Academy Awards in March, and made several public appearances throughout November while promoting Wicked: For Good across Europe and the U.S.
Though Slater tends to stay quiet about his personal life, he did briefly open up about Grande during a September interview with People, while discussing her upcoming Eternal Sunshine Tour, which kicks off in June 2026. “Ari’s fans are unbelievable and incredible and ferocious in their support of her — and it’s a beautiful thing,” he said.
Grande’s latest hosting stint marked her third time leading SNL — and the episode also carried extra emotional weight. The night doubled as a farewell for her Wicked costar Bowen Yang, who made his final appearance after seven seasons on the show.
After the episode wrapped, Grande paid tribute to Yang via Instagram Stories, writing, “I love you more than words can say and I am just so very proud of you and all of the eggnog you’ve made over the years. It meant more than words can say to have been there for your sendoff last night. Happy trails, my brilliant and beautiful friend.”
