{"id":1873,"date":"2026-06-13T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-13T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thehotedit.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/13\/exclusive-inside-needy-ariana-grandes-on\/"},"modified":"2026-06-13T13:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-06-13T12:00:00","slug":"exclusive-inside-needy-ariana-grandes-on","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thehotedit.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/13\/exclusive-inside-needy-ariana-grandes-on\/","title":{"rendered":"Exclusive | Inside &#8216;needy&#8217; Ariana Grande&#8217;s &#8216;on"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<br \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Ariana Grande tries to keep her private life to herself, but it always threatens to overshadow her talent.<\/p>\n<p>The star has a new tour, a new album and an upcoming starring role in one of Hollywood\u2019s most beloved comedy franchises.<\/p>\n<p>But this week Grande, 32, found herself back in the spotlight for another reason \u2014 <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/2026\/06\/12\/celebrity-news\/ethan-slater-makes-first-public-appearance-after-ariana-grande-split-news\/\">her split from boyfriend Ethan Slater, 34, <\/a>after nearly three years together.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Ariana Grande and \u201cWicked\u201d co-star Ethan Slater have split after nearly three years together, it was announced this week. <span class=\"credit\">Presley Ann Photo\/for SAG \/ Shutterstock<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>The couple looked extremely close as Slater joined Grande at the Oscars in 2025, where she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress. <span class=\"credit\">Penske Media via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>While multiple sources told Page Six the couple split \u201cseveral\u201d months ago, they had actually been \u201con\/off\u201d even before that.<\/p>\n<p>When rumors first surfaced they were on the outs back in the fall, one pal of Grande\u2019s told us, \u201cIf I had to look into my crystal ball would I think they would stay together? No.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>So, what went wrong with Slater?<\/p>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module aligncenter wp-block-nypost-editor-primary-tag\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>There were gasps when he turned up to see Grande as she hosted the \u201cSaturday Night Live\u201d holiday show on December 20.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI thought they were broken up,\u201d said one onlooker at the dress rehearsal attended by Page Six, as the couple had not been seen together in weeks.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPeople definitely were surprised that Ethan turned up,\u201d a TV insider told us, \u201cNo-one thought they were together\u2026 they were on off, on off, on off.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Photos of the pair at \u201cSNL\u201d were posted on Instagram by Grande\u2019s friend, Elizabeth Gillies, then Slater shared a glimpse of his \u201cvery merry\u201d holidays with Grande that same month; but it was the last photo of them together.<\/p>\n<p>Grande and Slater, 34, a noted Broadway performer, were accused of being \u201ccheaters\u201d as soon they got together, while both working on the London set of the movie smash \u201cWicked\u201d, to which Slater had brought his then-wife and young son.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>The couple, seen with co-star Jonathan Bailey, met on the London set of \u201cWicked\u201d. Slater played Bock, while Grande played Glinda. <span class=\"credit\">Universal Pictures<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Despite rumors they were split, Slater turned up at \u201cSNL\u201d on December 20 to support Grande, who was hosting the holiday show. <span class=\"credit\">lizgillz\/Instagram<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>It was first confirmed <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/2023\/07\/20\/ariana-grande-dating-wicked-co-star-ethan-slater-after-dalton-gomez-split\/\">they were dating in July 2023 <\/a>\u2014 three days after <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/2023\/07\/17\/ariana-grande-dalton-gomez-divorcing-after-2-years-of-marriage\/\">Grande announced her marriage breakdown from husband Dalton Gomez<\/a>, prompting Slater\u2019s estranged wife, Dr. Lilly Jay, to label her husband\u2019s new squeeze \u201cnot a girl\u2019s girl\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy family is just collateral damage,\u201d Jay <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/2023\/07\/27\/ethan-slaters-estranged-wife-lilly-jay-blasts-ariana-grande\/\">seethed to Page Six<\/a>, later <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/2024\/12\/19\/celebrity-news\/ethan-slaters-ex-wife-lilly-jay-details-sudden-divorce-in-the-shadow-of-ariana-grande-relationship\/\">writing in an essay in The Cut<\/a> how her life was upended by Slater\u2019s romance with Grande.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI confidently moved to another country with my two-month-old baby and my husband to support his career. Consumed by the magic and mundanity of new motherhood, I didn\u2019t understand the growing distance between us,\u201d she wrote.<\/p>\n<p>Sources claim Grande can be hard to keep pace with, in her work or private life.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Slater made his first public appearance since this split news at the opening of \u201cRomeo and Juliet\u201d at Shakespeare in the Park in NYC Thursday night. <span class=\"credit\">Oliver Rodriguez\/Shutterstock<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cAs a professional, Ari\u2019s good to work with, she\u2019s so talented. As a human, she can be\u2026needy,\u201d an industry professional who has worked with the former child star told us.<\/p>\n<p>Another source who knows Grande also insisted, \u201cThere was no cheating\u2026neither of them should have been branded cheaters, that\u2019s not who either of them are.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Even Grande\u2019s ex-fianc\u00e9, comic Pete Davidson, has rushed to her defense, as a friend of the former \u201cSaturday Night Live\u201d star said although they had not spoken in a while, he remains extremely protective of her.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Slater\u2019s ex-wife Lilly Jay wrote about her shock at their marriage ending. <span class=\"credit\">ethanslater\/Instagram<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cShe\u2019s been through a lot in her life, and Pete admires her so much, she just keeps working and just keeps outdoing herself,\u201d said the pal.<\/p>\n<p>Grande and Davidson <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/2018\/06\/11\/ariana-grande-and-pete-davidson-are-engaged-after-a-few-weeks-of-dating\/\">famously got engaged weeks after they started dating in May 2018<\/a>, celebrating with matching tattoos and Davidson lavishing a $93,000 ring on his love. However, they split that October just a month after Grande was left reeling by the death of her ex-boyfriend, rapper Mac Miller<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/2018\/11\/05\/mac-miller-died-from-a-mixture-of-fentanyl-and-cocaine\/\"> from a drug overdose, aged 26.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>In January, Grande revealed how Miller had encouraged her to step out of the shadows of her Nickelodeon character Cat Valentine for her 2013 debut album, \u201cYours Truly\u201d.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Pete Davidson \u2013 who had a short-lived engagement to Grande \u2013 remains protective of her, friends say. <span class=\"credit\">FilmMagic<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve never talked about this, but actually Malcolm, whom you might know as Mac, encouraged me to be myself,\u201d she shared on The Hollywood Reporter\u2019s Awards Chatter podcast. \u201cAnd that it was OK to kind of shed that character, and embrace my brown hair, and make R&amp;B-influenced pop music and separate and do the brave thing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Further reflecting on Miller\u2019s advice, the \u201c7 Rings\u201d singer added, \u201cIt was a great influence, I\u2019m so very grateful for that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She went on to marry Gomez, a luxury estate agent, at an intimate ceremony with fewer than 20 guests at her home in Montecito, California, in May 2021. Gomez <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/2023\/07\/17\/dalton-gomez-flew-to-london-to-see-ariana-grande-in-last-ditch-effort-to-save-marriage\/\">reportedly flew to London <\/a>to try to save their marriage, but their<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/2024\/03\/19\/entertainment\/ariana-grande-finalizes-dalton-gomez-divorce-paying-1-25m\/\"> divorce was finalized<\/a> in March 2014.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Grande and her ex-husband Dalton Gomez announced their breakup days before it was confirmed she was dating Slater. <span class=\"credit\">arianagrande\/Instagram<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Grande had appeared to shrug off the furor surrounding her relationship with Slater, defending the romance in her 2024 song \u201cYes, And?\u201d with the lyrics, \u201cYour business is yours, and mine is mine. Why do you care so much whose d\u2014k I ride?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But by the time Grande and Slater embarked on their global press tour for the \u201cWicked\u201d sequel, \u201cWicked: For Good\u201d late last year, things were on the rocks, we\u2019re told, and they stayed away from each other at various premieres.<\/p>\n<p>Slater, who played Bock in the movie based on the hit musical, would not talk about Grande, who won plaudits and an Oscar nomination as Glinda the good witch.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Slater stood far from Grande at the London premiere of \u201cWicked: For Good\u201d in November, and the pair had barely any interaction. <span class=\"credit\">Gareth Cattermole\/Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Grande \u2013 seen on stage in Oakland, CA for her \u201cEternal Sunshine\u201d tour \u2013 has two sell-out shows in LA this weekend. <span class=\"credit\">YouTube<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Notably, he skirted \u201cToday\u201d show host Craig Melvin\u2019s question in November 2025 about \u201cworking with [his] girlfriend every day\u201d \u2014 instead, praising the \u201centire cast\u201d of the movie as \u201cincredible.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He called Grande \u201cbrilliant\u201d and co-star Cynthia Erivo \u201cremarkable\u201d during the interview, adding, \u201cI\u2019m so proud of everyone I got to work with. We\u2019re, like, a family.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Slater was absent from the opening show of Grande\u2019s \u201cEternal Sunshine\u201d tour, which kicked off last weekend at California\u2019s Oakland Arena, but <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/2026\/06\/09\/entertainment\/ethan-slater-sends-love-to-ex-ariana-grande-after-breakup-news\/\">did show support via Instagram \u201clikes.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n<p>During the show, Grande poked fun at her failed marriage to Gomez while singing her 2019 hit \u201cThank U, Next,\u201d a song famously about her ex-boyfriends, including Davidson, Miller and Big Sean.<\/p>\n<p>The lyrics include, \u201cOne day I\u2019ll walk down the aisle \/ Holding hands with my mama \u2026 Only wanna do it once, real bad \/ Gon\u2019 make that last.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>The star\u2019s brother Frankie Grande is one of her close-knit circle. <span class=\"credit\">Billboard via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>After singing, \u201cOnly wanna do it once, real bad\u201d on Saturday, Grande playfully held up two fingers and laughed, seemingly referring to her being open to remarrying.<\/p>\n<p>This weekend, Grande will perform at two sell-out shows at the Crypto Arena in Downtown LA.<\/p>\n<p>One source who knows Grande said she is cautious about letting new people into her inner circle and has a close-knit group of friends alongside her brother, Frankie Grande, with whom she likes to hang out with at home, playing board games; she is famously obsessed with Monopoly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe doesn\u2019t want to go out a lot,\u201d said the source, \u201cShe is much happier with her friends at home.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Grande poses in her costume ahead of going out on stage last weekend. <span class=\"credit\">@arianagrande\/Instagram<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>This November, Grande will also promote \u201cFocker-in -Law\u201d, a sequel to the hit movie \u201cMeet the Fockers\u201d starring Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro. She plays Olivia Jones, an intimidating former FBI hostage negotiator and the prospective bride to Henry Focker, son of Stiller and Teri Polo\u2019s characters.<\/p>\n<p>Stiller, also the director, called Grande a \u201cbrilliant comedic actress\u201d and the \u201cwhole engine\u201d of the new movie.<\/p>\n<p>And despite her split from Slater, don\u2019t expect her to go all Taylor Swift and sing about her ex on her new album \u201cPetal\u201d, friends say.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe and Ethan are still friends, \u201d said one friend, \u201cThis is not a dramatic breakup, it\u2019s not like that at all\u2026it was not an overnight thing, it was a thoughtful decision, there\u2019s no break in communication.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>As for her new album, \u201cIt\u2019s not about romantic love,\u201d said a friend, \u201cIt\u2019s Ari\u2019s way of responding to all the headlines.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/2026\/06\/13\/celebrity-news\/inside-needy-ariana-grandes-on-off-relationship-and-split-from-ethan-slater\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ariana Grande tries to keep her private life to herself, but it always threatens to overshadow her talent. The star has a new tour, a new album and an upcoming starring role in one of Hollywood\u2019s most beloved comedy franchises. But this week Grande, 32, found herself back in the spotlight for another reason \u2014 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1874,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/06\/newspress-collage-fpr60p4cu-1781293399020.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&1781279053&w=1200","fifu_image_alt":"","jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"jnews_override_counter":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[405,1331,1523,750,645,3785,3786,396,1527,1713,3788,3787,1525],"class_list":["post-1873","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-celebrity","tag-ariana","tag-ariana-grande","tag-celebrity-breakups","tag-celebrity-divorces","tag-celebrity-news","tag-cynthia-erivo","tag-ethan-slater","tag-exclusive","tag-grandes","tag-movies","tag-needy","tag-pete-davidson","tag-wicked-movie"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thehotedit.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1873","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thehotedit.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thehotedit.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thehotedit.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thehotedit.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1873"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thehotedit.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1873\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thehotedit.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1874"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thehotedit.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1873"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thehotedit.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1873"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thehotedit.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1873"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}