Roughly six months on from the apparent start of her romance with Ethan Slater, Ariana Grande is seemingly weighing in on all the criticism she’s faced.
For those who need a quick reminder, Ariana found herself at the center of public scrutiny in July after rumors began swirling that she was dating her Wicked costar Ethan — just days after news broke of her split from Dalton Gomez.
The entire thing was super messy, to say the least, especially given that Ethan had recently separated from his wife, Lilly Jay, who was also his high school sweetheart. They’d welcomed their first baby together almost a year prior, in August 2022, and he filed for divorce from her in July 2023.
It’s widely believed that Ariana and Ethan first met when Wicked rehearsals began in 2022, when they were both still with their respective spouses. Sources close to both Ariana and Ethan have denied heavy speculation that they cheated on their partners, claiming that they began dating when they were both single.
Meanwhile, Ethan’s now-ex-wife, Lilly, told Page Six that she feels Ariana is “not a girl’s girl” following reports that she was left “devastated” by the divorce. “My family is just collateral damage,” she said before telling the Daily Mail, “I am focused on rebuilding a life for our son and rebuilding a life for him. This is what I am trying to do, and this is my only focus.”
As perhaps expected, Lilly’s comments further fueled the backlash toward Ariana, with many internet users reflecting on the singer’s long-running history of being involved in breakups — and completely embracing it too.
Fast-forward to today, and Ariana and Ethan still appear to be dating, though they’re keeping a pretty low profile. In September, an insider told People magazine that they’re “trying to navigate their new relationship in private,” while claiming that the romance is “much different than what has been portrayed in public.”
And now it seems as though Ariana is addressing all the buzz around her and Ethan’s apparent romance on her brand-new song.
This Friday, Ariana released a track called “Yes, And?” And at one point on it, she sings these lyrics: “Your business is yours and mine is mine / Why do you care so much whose dick I ride?”
Ariana also sings, “Now, I'm so done with caring / What you think, no, I won't hide / Underneath your own projections / Or change my most authentic life.”
Needless to say, Ariana’s lyrics immediately got people talking online.
Many social media users expressed their disappointment at the lyrics, especially in light of the previous “homewrecker” allegations. Of course, it’s entirely speculation that Ariana is referring to Ethan specifically in the new song.
One person went on to suggest that Ariana has “glorified being the other woman,” seemingly also referencing her 2019 track “Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored.” Meanwhile, others called her latest song “embarrassing” and “out of touch.”
However, some internet users jumped to Ari’s defense, arguing that we ultimately don’t know the ins and outs of her and Ethan’s romance.
