Here’s what you need to know about the man who appears to have captured Grande’s heart.

Ethan Slater’s claim to fame was SpongeBob SquarePants

Slater, 31, starred in the 2017 hit musical SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical as the Nickelodeon cartoon character of the same name. The actor became synonymous with the character, a favourite among children, owning the role as he showed off his dance skills wearing the signature yellow button-up shirt, red tie and plaid pants. He won a Drama Desk Award and earned a Tony nomination for his performance. He is also a respected Broadway actor for his varied skill set on stage.

Slater put a lot of work into preparing for the show, telling his alma mater Vassar College in an interview that he even trained with a contortionist. He said he spent six months going to the gym before rehearsals began, taking dance lessons five days a week and incorporating stretching into his routine. He called the show itself a “cross-fit workout”.

He went to Vassar College

Slater attended Charles E Smith Jewish and Georgetown day schools before going to the liberal arts university Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York. Slater credits the school for his love of theatre, stating in his interview, “At Vassar we were taught theatre means something. There’s a reason a play was written and why it’s performed.”

SpongeBob was his Broadway debut. Of the role, he said, “Yes, SpongeBob is silly. But it means something, too. There’s a message.”

Slater and Lilly Jay went to high school together

Slater and his ex-wife Jay, reportedly 31, met while they were in high school. They started dating in 2012 and got married in 2018, per People. They also have a son together, who was born in August 2022. In old social media posts, Slater called Jay his “best friend” when documenting anniversaries. The couple was seen at numerous industry events together, including the 2018 Tony Awards, when Slater was nominated for his role in SpongeBob SquarePants.

Then Slater and Ariana Grande met on the set of Wicked …

In December 2022, Slater was cast in the screen adaptation of Wicked, with the announcement being made as filming began in London. His character Boq has a crush on Glinda, played by Grande, 30, with the two acting opposite Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba. As Slater made his way from stage to screen, his project grabbed more attention than usual because of Grande’s role.

The hit stage musical has been split into two parts for its on-screen adaptation. Wicked: Part One is due to be released on November 24, 2024. This date may change after filming was paused due to the Screen Actors Guild strike in July. But director Jon M. Chu said there were just a few days of filming left, so he suspects the release will go ahead as planned, reports People.

Grande hung out with Slater and Jay during filming

Slater filed for divorce on July 26 after he and Jay had been together for 10 years. According to Elle, Jay lashed out at Grande, saying, “[Ariana’s] the story really. Not a girl’s girl. My family is just collateral damage.”

In another interview, she said she is focusing on rebuilding her life for her son. She added that she felt particularly blindsided by the split as she, her husband and Grande used to “hang out” in London during the filming of Wicked.