Ariana Grande marked the end of 2024 with a heartfelt reflection on her year alongside boyfriend Ethan Slater. On Tuesday, Dec. 31, the 31-year-old artist shared a collection of 20 photos on Instagram to highlight memorable moments from the past year.
The photo set featured Ariana with her Wicked castmates, performing alongside Cynthia Erivo, and capturing joyful moments with her brother Frankie Grande, his husband Hale Leon, and their mother Joan. One particularly charming image in the series depicts Ariana and Slater, 32, smiling together, with a blurry Jeff Goldblum taking a selfie in the foreground.
Ariana and Slater met while filming Wicked, where he plays Boq and she stars as Glinda
“A year full of art and heart 𖦹 ｡˚ฺ ｡˚·ꕤ.ﾟ!” Ariana expressed in her caption. “Thank you eternally for your love and support, words truly don’t suffice. I love you always and am wishing you all a very happy new year!” Ariana and Slater first crossed paths while filming Wicked in late 2022.
Slater, a Broadway veteran, takes on the role of Boq, a student at Shiz University, while Ariana plays the good witch Glinda. Their romantic relationship was first reported by PEOPLE in July 2023, shortly after both had separated from their previous partners, Dalton Gomez and Lilly Jay.
Despite keeping their public appearances to a minimum for much of 2024, the couple attended various events together during Wicked’s promotional tour ahead of the film’s release in November, consistently supporting one another on social media.
On Dec. 18, Ariana praised Slater as “the Buster Keaton of today!” in a comment on one of his Instagram posts, referencing the iconic silent film comedian from the 1920s. “He’s always adorable, and he’s so amazing in this film; he’s such an amazing person,” she shared during a November interview with Entertainment Tonight. “I’m so happy people are getting to know him. My heart is very happy.”
Ariana’s year-end social media post followed a recent announcement from the Manchester Foundation Trust Charity, which revealed on Dec. 23 that she made a substantial donation to children within the U.K. city’s hospital network.
This gesture is particularly meaningful, as Manchester was the site of the tragic suicide bombing following one of Ariana’s concerts in May 2017, resulting in the loss of 22 lives and injuries to hundreds. Ariana has maintained her connection to the city in the years following the incident.
“The gifts she has donated are being distributed to babies, children, and teenagers across Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, Trafford General Hospital, Wythenshawe Hospital, and North Manchester General Hospital. @mftnhs,” the hospital system stated on Instagram at the time.
