Ariana Grande fiercely defends relationship with Ethan Slater

Ariana Grande has fiercely defended her relationship with Ethan Slater.

The Yes, And? singer, 31, began dating Wicked co-star Slater, 32, in July 2023 - the same month she split from husband of two-years Dalton Gomez, 29.

Slater also split from his wife, Lilly Jay, with whom he shares a young son, amid reports his romance with Grande had begun.

Addressing the headlines generated by the start of their relationship, Grande told Vanity Fair, "The most disappointing part was to see so many people believe the worst version of it... That was definitely a tough ride."

The singer - who plays Galinda Upland in the upcoming Wicked films - went on to praise her boyfriend, who plays Boq in the films.

She gushed, "There couldn't be a less accurate depiction of a human being than the one that the tabloids spread about him... No one on this earth tries harder or spreads themselves thinner to be there for the people that he loves and cares about."

She added, "There is no one on this earth with a better heart, and that is something that no bulls**t tabloid can rewrite in real life."

The star addressed her own relationship with the press, saying, "The back-and-forth throughout the course of my career has been really hard to navigate mentally. I was this approachable, funny redhead on Nickelodeon and everyone liked me.

"And then I had one too many hit records, and everyone decided that I was an evil diva. And then other terrible things happened, and all of a sudden I was this hero and this victim."

Wicked is due for release in the UK on 18 November 2024.