Fans of Ariana Grande have had mixed reactions after spotting the bizarre way she greeted her boyfriend and Wicked co-star Ethan Slater at the SAG Awards on Sunday night (February 23).
From Jane Fonda savagely 'calling out Donald Trump' during her Life Achievement Award speech to Ariana Grande making a rare public appearance with her new beau, there were a few talking points to take from the Screen Actors Guild Awards that happened this weekend (23 February).
Grande and Slater started dating in 2023 after meeting on the set of Wicked, though their relationship has certainly been a controversial one.
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News of their relationship broke just days after it was revealed that the singer was getting a divorce from her now-ex-husband Dalton Gomez, sparking speculation that there may have been some overlap between Grande's partners.
Slater also filed for divorce in the same month that the relationship came to light, not long after welcoming a daughter with his ex-partner.
The rumors surrounding their romance prompted one of her close family friends to tell PEOPLE: "People have tried to question the timeline."
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The friend claimed that 'Ariana and Ethan didn’t begin seeing each other until after both parties were separated, respectfully'.
Well, just yesterday (23 February), Grande and Slater appeared together at the SAG Awards in a rare public appearance.
One particular moment caught on camera saw the celebrity couple shake hands before awkwardly posing for photos.
"Idk they seem more like friends, can’t really imagine them as lovers," one person wrote on TikTok, while a second added: "Why she taking pics with him like he’s a fan?"
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Meanwhile, a third stated the couple look like 'just coworkers'.
However, the Mirror reports Grande and Slater looked more loved-up later on in the night as they held hands walking through the packed crowd.
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During this, Nicola Hickling, from Lip Reader, told the Daily Mail that Slater became concerned for the Wicked star after the crowd began to 'push' them while they were in the audience for the SAG Awards.
Slater then apparently told Grande to stay a close distance to him during the rather tense moment played out in public.
A viral clip then showed the pair walking through the crowd, with Slater seen whispering to the singer before leading her through a crowd of people.
"Stay near, this crowd next to me, they are pushing me," the lip reader states Slater said to Grande.
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UNILAD has reached out to Grande and Slater's representatives for comment.
Topics: Ariana Grande, Celebrity, Sex and Relationships, News, Social Media
Callum Jones