Ariana Grande and rumored boyfriend Ethan Slater have taken a big step in their relationship as the couple was recently spotted grabbing dinner in New York City alongside the pop star’s father.
Pictures shared by Page Six show the Wicked movie co-stars and Broadway alums jumping out of a black SUV and heading into a local Italian restaurant with Grande’s dad, Ed Butera, in tow. A source also told the outlet that Grande, 30, her father and other friends and family went to see Slater, 31, in Spamalot on Broadway.
During the most recent outing, a few days before Christmas, the “Side to Side” singer donned a mini skirt, black cardigan, sheer tights and fuzzy cuffs and a hat. For his part, Slater matched in all black athletic clothing including Nike tennis shoes and a North Face jacket.
Butera, 65, also wore all black in the photos and at one point appeared to make the finger pinch gesture while standing next to his daughter outside the establishment. Grande must have liked the picture because she later posted a zoomed in version of just her father’s face and hand to her Instagram Story.
The dinner date comes just a few days after the Hairspray Live! actress posted a pre-Christmas photo dump on Instagram which included what many fans assumed to be a cheeky reference to her rumored boyfriend.
On Thursday, the singer shared a picture of a Christmas tree, which featured an ornament in the shape of a container of SPAM, seemingly an Easter egg connected to Slater’s role in the Broadway revival of Spamalot.
Back in October, a source gave ET an update on Grande and Slater’s romance, following her divorce from Dalton Gomez and Slater’s divorce from Lilly Jay. According to the source, the couple is “on the same page” and “still very excited about their relationship.”
“Ariana thinks Ethan is ridiculously talented, likes that they can relate to each other and that he challenges her; artistically speaking,” the source said. “Ethan wants the best for Ariana and for themselves as a couple. They support and elevate one another.”
The source added that Slater, who shares a son with his ex, is “invested in developing his relationship with Ariana and her family” as he continues to be “a hands-on dad.”
“Ariana’s family is of course, protective of her,” the source noted, “but as long as she is happy and treated well, they will continue to support their relationship.”
A source confirmed to ET in July that Grande and Gomez had separated after two years of marriage, noting that the pair — who tied the knot in May 2021, five months after announcing their engagement — “ultimately were just not a good fit.”
Around the same time, TMZ reported that Slater had filed for divorce from his wife of five years while another source reiterated to ET that Grande and Slater started dating after both had split from their respective spouses.
Following the divorce news, Jay gave an exclusive quote to Page Six, calling her family “collateral damage” in Slater and Grande’s new romance.
“[Ariana’s] the story really. Not a girl’s girl,” Jay said. “My family is just collateral damage.”
Since their relationship began, the couple has been spotted out and about numerous times, including in November when Grande showed up to opening night of Spamalot to support Slater. Grande had also previously attended an early performance of the show on Halloween night.
Grande and Slater were also spotted together backstage at Gutenberg! The Musical! around the same time they posed with the show’s stars, Andrew Rannells and Josh Gad. They attended the show with Slater’s Spamalot co-star, Michael Urie.
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