If you’ve spent more than five minutes on TikTok lately, you’ve probably seen the "Ariana Grande girlfriend" theories flying around like crazy. People are obsessed. They’re dissecting every single frame of the Wicked press tour and analyzing her "non-binary" jokes with Cynthia Erivo as if they’re uncovering a secret code. But honestly? Most of the internet is looking in the wrong direction.
The reality of Ariana’s love life in early 2026 is actually a lot more "old married couple" than "secret lesbian romance," despite what the "Galinda and Elphaba are dating" shippers want to believe.
Why the Internet is Convinced About an Ariana Grande Girlfriend
Let’s talk about the Cynthia Erivo of it all. During the endless Wicked: For Good press run, the chemistry between the two leads was... intense. They wore matching outfits. They held hands on every red carpet. They even joked about being in a "semi-binary" relationship.
Naturally, the internet did what it does best: it ran with it.
Fans started digging into old lyrics, looking for "queer-coding" in Eternal Sunshine. They pointed to her 2019 track "Monopoly" where she sang, "I like women and men (yeah)." But if we’re being real, the "girlfriend" buzz is mostly just a mix of high-level marketing for a movie about female friendship and fans wanting to see their favorite stars find a specific kind of happiness. Insiders have been pretty blunt lately, telling The Daily Mail and TMZ that once the cameras stopped rolling on the Wicked promo tour, Ariana and Cynthia actually retreated back to their own separate friend groups.
It wasn't a fallout. It was just... work ending.
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The Ethan Slater Reality Check
While everyone is busy googling if she has a girlfriend, the guy actually sitting at her kitchen table is still Ethan Slater. Yeah, the SpongeBob guy.
They’ve been together since July 2023, and despite the "homewrecker" labels that the tabloids loved to slap on them, they’re still going strong in 2026. If you noticed Ariana at the Golden Globes or the Critics' Choice Awards recently, you might have seen her walking the carpet with her best friend Doug Middlebrook instead of Ethan.
That sent the breakup rumors into overdrive. People were like, "See! She’s single! She’s dating a woman!"
Nope.
Sources close to the couple say they’ve made a conscious choice to "go off the grid." After the absolute nightmare of a public backlash they faced when they first started dating—both of them were fresh out of marriages to Dalton Gomez and Lilly Jay—they’ve decided that being "public" just isn't worth the headache. They’d rather stay home in New York, play board games, and binge-watch shows. Honestly, can you blame them?
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What’s Actually Happening in 2026?
Ariana is in a weird spot right now. She’s 32, she’s coming off the biggest movie of her career, and she’s gearing up for the Eternal Sunshine tour. She’s also just been confirmed for a West End revival of Sunday in the Park with George with Jonathan Bailey.
The girl is busy.
Here is the breakdown of what we actually know:
- Relationship Status: Still with Ethan Slater.
- Wedding Rumors: There’s a lot of talk about a 2026 "secret wedding" or elopement. Ariana is reportedly "pro-marriage" despite her divorce from Dalton.
- The "Girlfriend" Factor: It’s almost entirely fan-fiction and playful "Wicked" chemistry. Ariana has been open about her fluid attraction in the past, but there is zero evidence of a secret girlfriend right now.
- Privacy is the New Vibe: She’s barely posting Ethan on Instagram because every time she does, the comments become a war zone.
The "Galinda" Effect and Misinformation
We have to talk about how easy it is for a celebrity’s image to get twisted. Because Ariana played Glinda—a character that is essentially the embodiment of "feminine energy"—people have projected a lot of new narratives onto her.
Some fans feel that her bond with Cynthia Erivo was "too close" to be just friends. But in the world of theater and high-stakes movie musicals, that kind of trauma-bonding is standard. You’re in a bubble for two years. You’re going to be close.
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Slater, for his part, seems totally fine with being the "back-burner" boyfriend during award season. He’s been busy with his own projects, like the off-Broadway play Marcel on the Train. He was even spotted backstage at her Saturday Night Live gig in late 2025, proving they’re still very much a unit.
Actionable Takeaways for the Ari-Obsessed
If you’re trying to keep up with the facts amidst the 2026 gossip cycle, here’s how to filter the noise:
- Ignore "Blind Items" without Receipts: Sites like DeuxMoi love to post "Ariana has a secret GF" tips, but they rarely have proof.
- Watch the Tour Content: When the Eternal Sunshine tour kicks off later this year, that’s when we’ll see who is actually in the VIP tent every night.
- Check the Lyrics: Ariana always tells on herself in her music. If there’s a new relationship—with a man or a woman—it’ll be on the next album.
- Respect the Privacy: Both Ariana and Ethan have spoken about how "disappointing" it was to see the public believe the worst versions of their story. They aren't going to give us much "content" anymore, and that’s probably for the best.
Basically, the "Ariana Grande girlfriend" era is a mix of playful queer-coding and wishful thinking from a fanbase that wants to see her live her best "Wicked" life. But for now, the real story is a lot more grounded. She’s a woman who’s been through the ringer, found a partner who supports her from the sidelines, and is trying to keep her private life exactly that: private.
As 2026 rolls on, expect more theater reunions and fewer red-carpet PDAs. She’s focused on the craft, her family, and her "old married couple" life at home.