Ariana Grande Sings Ex's Praises Amid Ethan Slater Split Rumors

Ariana Grande relives another fond memory of her ex, Mac Miller, as things reportedly die down with Ethan Slater. The singer is filled with a spirit of gratitude towards her late ex and how much he influenced the sound that she owns right now.

Ariana Grande and Mac Miller dated for about two years from 2016 to 2018. The rapper died a few months after their split the same year.

The actress gave Miller his flowers during an appearance at Chapman University, stating how he encouraged her to explore the R&B side of pop and find a way to infuse them into each other.

"I'm really thankful for that," the singer explained, noting that the reason why she had him appear on her 2013 hit song "The Way" was because of the vision she saw.

"That's also part of why I was so eager to ask him to be a part of it. Not only because he was perfect for the song, but I also felt like I had him to thank for finding my sound," Grande added in the interview session as seen on TikTok. 

"The Way" was not the only project the duo worked on; they also took that energy on to his 2016 track "My Favorite Part," and then the 2016 remix of her other smash hit "Into You."

Two years ago, the actress also paid a tribute to Miller for the 10th anniversary of her debut album "Yours Truly" by sharing a music video from a fan account, emphasizing her love for the rapper on the post and in the comment section.

Grande and the actor have sparked speculations about a crack in their relationship nearly two years after they became a romantic pair. The duo has reportedly gone awfully quiet from what used to be a regular show of intense romance between them.

Last month, The Blast reported that Slater stylishly evaded the question an interviewer asked him about how he felt working alongside Grande on the set of "Wicked." Slater reportedly refused to give a direct answer to this question and gave a more professional answer.

Instead, he replied to the interviewer that it felt great working with everyone on set. However, this response seemingly set off the rumor mills again, as several sources claimed they kept the split under wraps to avoid the news overshadowing the promotion of "Wicked: For Good."

Sources very close to the actress and her beau claimed their love story came to an end due to their differences. The insider noted that Grande and Slater have been breaking off and coming back together for the better part of the year, alongside a series of arguments that have caused them to miss shows.

The couple were reportedly even serious about getting married at some point, but things suddenly died down. As of now, sources are claiming that they were only putting up an appearance for "Wicked: For Good" as it remains doubtful if they would reconcile for the movie.

Grande and Slater got together on the first installment of "Wicked," in a relationship where the timing sparked controversy due to the outcome of their individual marriages at the time.

The duo was last spotted together in April at the preview of "Little Shop of Horrors" to support Liz Gillies, who starred alongside Grande in Nickelodeon's "Victorious."

When the couple started in 2023, sources close to them affirmed to PEOPLE in December that they were in a very normal relationship. One year after this statement, Slater and Grande debuted in November 2024 in an image taken backstage at the Australia premiere of "Wicked."

The image was peak chivalry as Slater was spotted carrying the train of the actress's dress. In early 2023, Grande and Slater were pictured attending their co-star Michelle Yeoh's Oscar party in an Instagram video posted by Yeoh.

A few months after that sighting, Grande celebrated her second anniversary with Dalton Gomez, but things ended that same July. By July, sources confirmed that Grande and Slater had begun dating, and in that same month, Slater filed for divorce from his wife, Lily Jay.

The relationship became a kaleidoscope of exchange of support between the duo, who showed up for each other's work events and endeavors. According to a source, "They love to support each other in their work. When she's done with work, Ariana loves going to the theater when she can."

The 32-year-old has enjoyed the best of both worlds as a creative artist over the years, from a thriving career as a musician to winning hearts as an actress.

Confessing to Kidman about how much acting has impacted her journey as a musician, the actress stated: "I've just been healing my relationship to music and touring over the past couple of years."

As shared by The Blast, the actress added that taking time away from music has helped her understand her relationship with fame and priorities as an artist. She has also done a lot of revamping and reinventing her craft as a music artist since taking the much-needed break. 

About her role as Glinda in "Wicked," Grande stated: "I can't express how grateful I am. I think it just held some traumas for me before, and I feel those dissipating, and that is such an extraordinarily beautiful thing."