Ariana Grande had quite the time at the MTV VMAs 2025, but many were left wondering where Ethan Slater was during her big night.
ICYMI: Ariana Grande was nominated for seven awards at this year's VMAs and ultimately was among the big winners of the night, taking three home awards, including the coveted Video of the Year.
Clad in a custom Fendi polka dot dress, the Eternal Sunshine signer posed solo for the red carpet at UBS Arena on September 7, 2025, in Elmont, New York, before being joined by an entourage of family and friends, but notably absent from the bunch was her Wicked co-star and IRL partner, Ethan Slater.
During the ceremony, Grande sat next to her stylist, Law Roach, best known for his work with Zendaya, and multiple family members, including her parents, Edward Butera and Joan Grande, as well as her brother Frankie Grande and his husband Hale Grande. Rounding off Grande's VIP section was Christian Breslauer, who co-directed Grande's “brighter days ahead” short film, and his wife, actor Brittany Breslauer.
At one point during the night, Grande was also joined by fellow nominee and "Rain on Me" collaborator Lady Gaga, who got a round of applause from Grande's group.
Seeing as Slater did not attend the function with Grande, chatter immediately began online, with some speculating about a potential breakup. Slater and Grande have been reportedly dating since 2023 after meeting on the set of Wicked. The two have kept their relationship mostly private to avoid tabloid speculation.
Grande and Slater's last public appearance together was in late April 2025, when the two attended a preview of Little Shop of Horrors at the Westside Theatre off-Broadway to support Grande's Victorious co-star Liz Gillies. Prior to that, the duo were together at the Oscars, where they were photographed hugging and chatting together throughout the night. (Grande was nominated during the night, and Slater had gotten her Glinda pink balloons to celebrate.)
Multiple users online joked that Slater and Grande could have called it quits after Grande linked up with BLACKPINK's Rosé to take a photo together before taking the stage, making memes about the viral “Rosé curse,” which the K-pop star denounced to i-D earlier this year. However, as it turns out, Slater and Grande appear to still be going strong.
Despite not attending the event in person, Slater did support Grande during the VMAs, resharing MTV's post of her Best Pop winner speech to his Instagram stories as the ceremony concluded. Slater reposted the video of Grande's speech, highlighting her wins for Video of the Year and Best Pop with added text above and below the clip.
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Chatter surrounding Slater's absence from the VMAs was intensified by a Star Magazine report claiming he was spotted in Jersey City, New Jersey, with his ex-wife, Lilly Jay, and their son just a couple of days before the awards.
While Star's report included no visual evidence, but rather just eye witness recounts, it'd make sense for Slater and Jay to spend time together, seeing as the two are still co-parents. “While our partnership has changed, our parenthood has not. Both of us fiercely love our son 100 percent of the time, regardless of how our parenting time is divided,” Jay herself wrote in 2024, as part of her viral essay for The Cut.
Since making their relationship public, Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater have remained steadfast in their support for one another. In a 2024 interview with Vanity Fair, Grande said of Slater: "No one on this earth tries harder or spreads themselves thinner to be there for the people that he loves and cares about. There is no one on this earth with a better heart, and that is something that no bullsh*t tabloid can rewrite in real life.”
It's unclear why Slater decided to skip the VMAs; he might have had a conflicting commitment, or he might have just not wanted to draw attention to himself with his presence. Earlier this year, Slater notably skipped the Golden Globes despite Wicked's nominations, which could very well be an effort to protect their peace and relationship.
Earlier this year, Slater opened up to GQ about the public's reaction and the relentless news cycle that followed after his and Grande's relationship became public, especially as people started scrutinizing his divorce from Jay. “I am really focused on the real people in my life, who those things affect, and doing right by every real person and not the Twitter people who comment on it,” he told the magazine.
