Well, this is one wicked romance. When TMZ <\/strong>first reported that Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater<\/a> were dating in July, no one knew what to think. One fan summed it all up on Twitter: \u201cI’m sorry i truly cannot comprehend this ariana grande ethan slater<\/a> news like i feel like my brain is broken and on fire at the same time.\u201d<\/p>\n There were a few reasons for the collective confusion. Only two months earlier, Grande and her husband Dalton Gomez celebrated their second anniversary<\/a> in May 2023. That same month, Slater posted for his wife\u2019s first-ever Mother\u2019s Day<\/a>, calling her \u201cthe most loving caring and wonderful mom\/person in the world.\u201d Then, in June, Gomez reportedly posted a birthday tribute<\/a> for Grande, where he referred to her as his \u201cpixie.\u201d<\/p>\n With so much social media love, fans were reluctant to believe that Slater and Grande were an item. But by September, Grande and Slater had both filed for divorce and taken their romance public. Still lost? Here\u2019s a full breakdown of their relationship timeline.<\/p>\n After Grande \u2014 sans her wedding ring \u2014 attended a Wimbledon match on July 16, fans began questioning whether she and Gomez, whom she married in May 2021<\/a>, could have separated. TMZ then confirmed the breakup<\/a> the following day, reporting that Grande and Gomez were \u201cheading for divorce.\u201d<\/p>\n At the time, a source told Us Weekly <\/em>the couple actually broke up in January<\/a> after \u201chaving some issues<\/a> for months.\u201d Per the insider, \u201cThey were having issues before she left for Wicked<\/em><\/em> filming [in London] that they couldn\u2019t resolve, and the distance did not help. They haven\u2019t been speaking and are separated, and a divorce is likely.\u201d<\/p>\n Just days after Grande split from her husband of two years<\/a>, there was another update on her love life. On July 20, TMZ reported the singer was dating Slater, her Wicked <\/em><\/em>co-star and Broadway\u2019s very own Spongebob Squarepants<\/a>. (Grande is playing Galinda in the upcoming Wicked<\/em> adaptation, with Slater playing Boq). Per the outlet, Grande and Gomez started dating \u201cseveral months\u201d<\/a> before their romance became public.<\/p>\n At the time, an Entertainment Tonight<\/em> source claimed that Grande and Slater\u2019s romance began after they \u201cbroke up with their significant others.\u201d<\/a> The source continued, \u201cThey have a lot in common and have a lot of fun.\u201d <\/p>\n Reports suggested that they\u2019d been seeing each other for some time. In August, a Daily Mail<\/em> source claimed that Grande and Slater<\/a> were \u201csloppy on set,\u201d not bothering to hide their romance. \u201cThey were seen making out at a pub in Hampstead, and they were all over each other at Michelle Yeoh’s Oscar party [in March],\u201dthe insider said. <\/p>\n Following the relationship rumors, reports surfaced that Slater\u2019s wife Lilly Jay<\/a> was \u201ccompletely blindsided<\/a>\u201d by the breakup. \u201cIt\u2019s horrible. They were high school sweethearts. They have a baby! She\u2019s a wreck,\u201d an insider told Page Six<\/em>.<\/p>\n Slater filed for divorce<\/a> from Jay in New York on July 26, per TMZ and E!<\/em>. Six days later, Jay filed, too.<\/p>\n Jay spoke directly to Page Six<\/em> on July 27. \u201c[Ariana\u2019s] the story really. Not a girl\u2019s girl… My family is just collateral damage<\/a>,\u201d Jay said. Jay, who shares a son with Slater, said she was focused on being \u201ca good mom\u201d amid the drama.<\/p>\n That same day, a source told the Daily Mail<\/em> that Jay, Grande, and Slater had spent time together in London. \u201cLilly hung out<\/a> with Ethan and Ariana so many times. Ariana met their baby and even held him,\u201d the insider claimed.<\/p>\n Apparently, Jay found out about the alleged affair between Slater and Grande<\/a> after visiting them in the U.K. Per the Daily Mail<\/em> source, she and Slater were going to \u201ctry and work on their marriages and put the whole thing behind them.\u201d The insider added, \u201cBut that did not work out [because Ariana and Ethan] kept the affair going despite [that].\u201d<\/p>\n After plenty of back-and-forth on Grande and Slater\u2019s romantic timeline, sources clarified when their romance actually started. \u201cPeople have tried to question the timeline<\/a>,\u201d a close friend of the couple told People<\/em> on Sept. 4. \u201c<\/em>The truth is, Ariana and Ethan didn\u2019t begin seeing each other until after both parties were separated, respectfully.\u201d<\/p>\n The insider added that Grande and Slater\u2019s relationship has not been as messy as it seems. According to the couple\u2019s friend, \u201cThey are just trying to navigate their new relationship in private. They are doing their best to balance the fact that they are in the public eye with the desire to be respectful to all parties involved.\u201d<\/p>\n Unlike Jay, Gomez has kept quiet<\/a> on the Grande and Slater dating rumors. However, on Sept. 13, a source told ET<\/em> that Grande\u2019s ex was \u201cthrowing himself into work\u201d<\/a> and \u201ctrying to stay distracted\u201d post-split.<\/p>\n \u201cHe is dating a little bit and a lot of girls are giving Dalton attention,” a source told ET <\/em>on Sept. 13. “He is not completely over his relationship with Ariana, but he is doing his best to move forward.”<\/p>\n Grande and Gomez filed for divorce on Sept. 18 after more than two years of marriage<\/a>, citing \u201cirreconcilable differences.\u201d According to the court docs, obtained by TMZ<\/a>, the couple first separated on Feb. 20.<\/p>\n Reportedly, the couple had a prenuptial agreement in place and worked out their differences ahead of filing. \u201cThey\u2019ve been really caring and respectful of one another every step of this process,\u201d a source told TMZ. <\/p>\n Grande and Slater apparently <\/strong>took their romance public<\/a> at Disney World on Sept. 22, per photos posted by DeuxMoi. \u201cThey went with a big group of friends as well her mom and brother,” a source told People<\/em> on Sept. 26. Per the insider, Grande and Slater<\/a> are “really happy and really good for each other.\u201d The source added, “All of her friends love him.\u201d<\/p>\n Grande and Slater\u2019s romance got another major development when Us Weekly <\/em>reported they were moving in together. \u201cEthan informed his friends and soon-to-be ex-wife [Lilly Jay] that he\u2019s living with Ariana full-time<\/a> in New York,\u201d an insider told Us.<\/em><\/p>\n The rumored couple made a rare public appearance in November, when Grande showed up at the opening night of Broadway\u2019s <\/a>Spamalot!<\/a><\/em>, which starred Slater in various roles. The occasion didn\u2019t mark their red carpet debut, though, as Grande avoided the press line.<\/p>\n Grande and Slater fully embraced the magic of the holidays by spending the season together. Two days before Christmas, they were spotted grabbing dinner together in Manhattan<\/a>, joined by Grande\u2019s father Ed Butera.<\/p>\n As Grande\u2019s whirlwind year was coming to an end, she reflected on her 2023 in a lengthy note on her Instagram Stories. \u201cI have never felt more pride or joy or love while simultaneously feeling so deeply misunderstood by people who don’t know me, who piece whispers together and make what they want out of me and their assumptions of my life,\u201d Grande wrote. \u201cI have learned how much more important one of those things is than the other.\u201d<\/p>\n The sentiment seemed directed at the public fascination with how Grande and Slater\u2019s relationship began. She went on to seemingly offer her explanation for why she has chosen not to speak about the relationship: \u201cI am reacting to things that deserve my energy only and removing and protecting myself from things that do not.\u201d<\/p>\nJuly 16, 2023: Ariana & Dalton Breakup Rumors Began<\/h2>\n
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<\/picture><\/noscript><\/div>July 20: The Ariana & Ethan Dating Rumors Began<\/h2>\n
July 21: Ethan\u2019s Wife Was Reportedly \u201cBlindsided\u201d By Their Breakup<\/h2>\n
July 26: Ethan Filed For Divorce<\/h2>\n
July 27: Ethan\u2019s Wife Spoke Out<\/h2>\n
![\"Ethan](\"https:\/\/imgix.bustle.com\/uploads\/getty\/2023\/10\/4\/cfccb999-34f6-4225-9ae5-a0db36cc7f23-getty-1057848798.jpg?w=380&h=570&fit=crop&crop=faces&auto=format%2Ccompress)
<\/picture><\/noscript><\/div>September 4: Sources Clarified The Timeline<\/h2>\n
September 13: Dalton Was Reportedly \u201cNot Completely Over\u201d Ariana<\/h2>\n
![\"Ariana](\"https:\/\/imgix.bustle.com\/uploads\/image\/2023\/10\/4\/c83a2d44-16da-4312-8569-c7c4c7f5cee9-13a4f5f4-396a-41cd-8439-dda9fae0ced9-25a16313-2494-4e79-aca8-4b6c1b91fbe5-screen-shot-2020-12-21-at-25701-pm.jpeg?w=1320&h=1212&fit=crop&crop=faces&auto=format%2Ccompress)
<\/picture><\/noscript><\/div>September 18: Ariana & Dalton Filed For Divorce<\/h2>\n
September 22: Ariana & Ethan Were Spotted At Disney<\/h2>\n
October 4: Insiders Said Ariana & Ethan Reportedly Live Together<\/h2>\n
November 16: Ariana Supported Ethan On The Opening Night Of His Play<\/h2>\n
December 23: Ethan Met Ariana\u2019s Father On A Date Night<\/h2>\n
December 29: Ariana Wrote About Feeling \u201cMisunderstood\u201d By The Public<\/h2>\n
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