Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater were seen looking very much in-love with one another at the Critics Choice Awards on February 7, and it’s no surprise fans once again took the opportunity to diss their relationship.
The couple were seated alongside the rest of the Wicked cast as the event was held inside Barker Hander in Santa Monica, California.
A few paparazzi clips show the two speaking closely with one another while Grande — who has been nominated for a Supporting Actress award for her performance as Glinda — placed a hand on her boyfriend’s leg.
Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater were at the center of attention at the Critics Choice Awards when host Chelsea Handler made a teasing jab at their relationship
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They could also be seen giggling alongside one another during the show.
The ceremony started with a humorous monologue by comedian Chelsea Handler, who made a teasing, light-hearted joke towards Grande and Slater, according to Daily Mail.
“It’s nice to see some of our most beloved child stars grown up and thriving,” she commended. “Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, and Ariana Grande are all nominated.”
She then added with a laugh, “Now Ariana has found love with a munchkin,” a reference to Slater’s character Boq in the Wicked movie, who is a munchkin himself.
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The joke seemed to have been received well by the audience, but fans online are less than amused by the relationship, especially after photos of the two from the awards night were released.
Once again, they centered around Grande’s weight.
“If he really cared about her, he’d feed her!” one person insisted.
“She’s too thin something is not right,” another quipped.
“She is way to [sic] touchy feely for me and she make me feel sick just looking at her,” a third noted.
Recently released photos have fans talking about her weight loss, per usual
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Someone took a jab at the way Slater was looking at his girlfriend, writing, “No one cares. This is just creepy.”
“Let her eat. Needs a good meal!” a comment read.
Discourse surrounding Grande’s weight has been in effect ever since the Wicked press tour commenced in early November, starting in Sydney, Australia.
Fans immediately noticed the pop star’s weight loss and questioned whether her mental health was in the right place.
But the Thank U, Next singer has tried shutting down those allegations multiple times.
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“ariana grande até se apaixonou por um munchkin”
— Apresentadora do #CriticsChoiceAwards sobre Ariana e Ethan Slater. 😭 pic.twitter.com/khOChZpLcM
— Ariana Grande News Brasil ☀️ (@NewsAriana_Br) February 8, 2025
On TikTok, she addressed it by saying, “For me, the body you’ve been comparing my current body to was the unhealthiest version of my body… You never know what someone is going through. So even if you are coming from a loving place or caring place, that person is probably working on it or has a support system that they are working on it with.”
During a somewhat recent interview with French journalist and influencer Crazy Sally, she once again spoke up regarding the “dangerous” and harmful rumors.
“I’ve been doing this in front of the public, been a specimen in a petri dish since I was 16 or 17. I have heard it all. I’ve heard every version of it, of what’s wrong with me. And then you fix it, then it’s wrong for different reasons,” she said.
Grande has spoken up regarding these allegations, saying no one quite knows what’s going on “behind the scenes”
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“It’s hard to protect yourself from that noise. It’s something that is uncomfortable no matter what scale you’re experiencing it on. Even if you go to Thanksgiving dinner and someone’s granny says, ‘You look skinnier, what happened?’ That is something that is uncomfortable and horrible no matter where it’s happening, no matter the scale it’s happening on.”
The 31-year-old then continued to say that there was a “comfortability” in today’s society where people are so quick to judge and comment on another’s looks, whether that be one’s clothing, face, or body.
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But this shouldn’t be a norm, she claimed, since whatever is going on “behind the scenes” is completely unknown to strangers.
“I’m really lucky to have the support system that I have to know and trust that I’m beautiful,” Grande concluded, adding, “No one has the right to say sh–t.”
Comments were absolutely brutal, holding nothing back
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