Frankie Grande, Ariana Grande’s older brother, has commented on his sister’s relationship with her ‘amazing’ boyfriend, Ethan Slater.
The 30-year-old We Can’t Be Friends singer began seeing the 32-year-old Tony nominee in July of last year, following her split from ex-husband Dalton Gomez.
At Gurus Magazine’s #30Voices30Days premiere party in Los Angeles, Frankie, who was previously teased by fans for resembling Ethan, discussed the actor in an interview with TooFab.
Ariana Grande’s older brother, Frankie Grande, 41, has shared his thoughts on his sister’s relationship with ‘wonderful’ boyfriend, Ethan Slater; seen earlier this month in L.A.
‘I love him, he’s a very sweet guy. I’ve been a fan of him ever since seeing him in SpongeBob [the musical],’ Ariana’s brother expressed.
‘And I got to interview him when I was doing the SpongeBob SquarePants podcast. And the Broadway community is a tight-knit family.’
‘I love him, he’s a very sweet guy. I’ve been a fan of him ever since seeing him in SpongeBob [the musical],’ Ariana’s brother expressed
‘He’s a great guy. Ethan’s a wonderful guy,’ Frankie further gushed. ‘He’s very sweet. He’s very very very sweet. I just, I adore him.’
‘I…honestly, I’ve always just said this, all I want is for my sister to be happy and when she’s happy I’m happy. So I’m very happy.’
Ariana and Ethan met while filming the upcoming musical film adaption, Wicked, in England – which is set to hit theaters later this year on November 27.
Frankie recalled having the opportunity to visit his younger sister on set of the movie, and witnessed the former Nickelodeon actress and Cynthia Erivo film the song, Defying Gravity.
‘I was on set. I got to go visit my sister and Cynthia, I was there when they shot Defying Gravity which was so incredible.’
‘I mean, getting to see my little sister, who I have been her number one fan and cheerleader for her whole entire life, do her dream role on that level and be so good at it, I was a mess.’
The Broadway star admitted, ‘I was weeping and you know, I wept through the trailer, I still cry when the trailer comes on.’
He also talked about the moment Ariana revealed to him that she had been cast as Glinda the Good Witch. ‘We were messes when she told us.’
‘She actually came to see me in a show and she pulled me aside and told me and both of us hit the ground, on the floor, weeping. Like it was as dramatic as ever as you could possibly imagine.’
Frankie added, ‘It was a beautiful moment and all of the moments since then, you know, have just been absolutely magical, magical! No pun intended.’
‘He’s a great guy. Ethan’s a wonderful guy,’ Frankie further gushed. ‘He’s very sweet. He’s very very very sweet. I just, I adore him’
‘I…honestly, I’ve always just said this, all I want is for my sister to be happy and when she’s happy I’m happy. So I’m very happy,’ Frankie added; seen with Ariana in 2023 in Pennsylvania
Frankie recalls having the opportunity to see his younger sister on the set of the film, and observed the former Nickelodeon star and Cynthia Erivo film the song, “Defying Gravity.”
Ariana Grande opens up on Ethan Slater controversy
It comes after Ariana was harassed by fans who pointed out that her boyfriend looks very similar to her older brother.
Creator Katie McBroom of @martinisandmascara was among the first to comment on the unsettling similarities, sharing side-by-side pics of Frankie and Ethan alongside a comment that read: ‘I’m no Freud… but like, this seems interesting.’
Following the post, dozens of other social media users weighed in including none other than Charlotte Freud, great-great-granddaughter of Sigmund himself, with the hot take: ‘As a Freud I can concur this is weird as f**k.’
‘[T]hank you… yikes,’ another chimed in with a pun on the hit Ariana track.
A third echoed: ‘I cannot get over how she would literally wreck a marriage over to someone that looks like her brother like ???? This is mentally sickening.’
‘”It’s like I’ve known you my whole life,”‘ quipped someone else.
The distain spread across to TikTok too where people seemed no less disturbed.
‘[T]hat’s not the same person?’ one wrote on a slideshow juxtaposing the two, savagely set to Justin Timberlake’s Mirrors.
‘BYE. The way they both smile more to one side as well,’ wrote another.
It comes after fans have noted that Ethan (left) could easily pass as the twin of Ariana’s older sibling Frankie (right)
‘I’m no Freud, but like… this seem interesting,’ one social media user wrote
Dozens of other commentators weighed in, including none other than Charlotte Freud, great-great-granddaughter of Sigmund himself, with the hot take: ‘As a Freud I can concur this is weird as f**k’
Ariana Grande dances with brother Frank to ‘Rain On Me’ amid lockdown
Even members of Ariana’s hardcore fan base appeared to be turning against her in droves, as social media users were typically cruel throughout a number of posts.
In July of last year, it was reported that Ariana had split from her ex-husband, Dalton Gomez, but it was later revealed that the couple had officially separated months earlier in January.
Ariana Grande released her seventh studio album, Eternal Sunshine, on March 8, with the single “Yes, And?”.
‘Ariana is feeling terrific in general and incredibly pleased of her new album,’ said a source to Entertainment Tonight at the time. ‘Ethan has been there for her, both personally and professionally.’
Some of the Wicked cast, including Ariana and Ethan, gathered in Las Vegas in April for 2024 CinemaCon.
Grande recently showed her support for Slater at the launch night of his Cafe Carlyle engagement in NYC in May.