Along with her boyfriend Ethan Slater nowhere in sight and her longtime “Depraved” co-star Cynthia Erivo additionally absent from her aspect, questions shortly adopted.

Nevertheless, behind the whispers and hypothesis, buddies now say the reality is way extra calculated, intentional, and revealing than it first appeared.

When Grande walked the Golden Globes purple carpet debuting a brunette transformation, it was not simply her look that caught consideration.

Slater was lacking, and as a substitute she was accompanied by her longtime good friend Doug Middlebrook. For a lot of, it reignited rumors which have adopted the couple for months.

Insiders insist the absence was not an indication of hassle however technique. A supply defined to the Each day Mail, “Ariana put Ethan on the again burner whereas she was selling the film.” The choice, they are saying, was about optics and focus slightly than distance.

Regardless of the chatter, these near the couple say their relationship is regular.

The insider added, “However they’re in a stable place now. They’re like an previous married couple at residence. They’d slightly hang around collectively and do easy issues like play board video games or binge watch reveals slightly than exit to fancy locations.”

Grande’s solo second was not a breakup clue, however a rigorously chosen transfer throughout a extremely scrutinized awards season.

The discharge of “Depraved: For Good” positioned Grande entrance and middle alongside Cynthia Erivo for an intense, globe-spanning promotional tour.

The duo traveled throughout continents, creating a picture of unity and star energy that studios rely on to drive buzz.

Slater, who performs Boq within the movie, deliberately took a quieter function. Whereas he appeared at choose premieres and a single solid Q&A, he largely stayed out of the highlight.

Insiders say this was not unintentional. “Ethan knew the Ariana and Cynthia factor was all about advertising the film. Ariana wanted to be entrance and middle with Cynthia. The 2 of them have been all over the place and Ethan was nowhere to be seen,” one supply revealed.

The insider added that Slater understood the hierarchy at play.

They mentioned, “Though he is within the film, he isn’t a promoting device like Ariana and Cynthia. He is a professional and understands the enterprise. That is why he was OK with it.”

The Golden Globes look adopted the identical logic, protecting the narrative clear and targeted.

Public curiosity peaked when Slater appeared on the “As we speak” present and was requested about working alongside Grande. Fairly than deal with their relationship straight, he shifted focus to the ensemble.

He described the solid as “unimaginable,” praised Grande as “good,” and referred to as Erivo “outstanding,” noting that witnessing their performances up shut was a “fairly particular” expertise.

His cautious wording mirrored the couple’s choice to keep away from posing collectively throughout promotional occasions. As an alternative of feeding headlines, they opted for discretion.

Behind the scenes, nevertheless, Slater continued to help Grande, together with being noticed backstage at “Saturday Night time Reside” when she hosted the vacation episode.

Extra just lately, refined social media posts hinted that their relationship stays intact.

The pair shared moments from a Boxing Day gathering, together with clips of Grande smiling together with her canine Toulouse, later reposted with pink coronary heart stickers.

Whereas Grande’s relationship with Slater seems regular, her once-constant pairing with Erivo has noticeably cooled.

Through the “Depraved” press run, the 2 appeared inseparable, typically joking about being “secretly married” and sharing emotional moments on purple carpets.

Now, sources say the dynamic has shifted. “Ariana and Cynthia undoubtedly solid a bond whereas filming each Depraved and the sequel, however the reality is that they by no means frolicked when the cameras weren’t round,” the insider defined. “They have been by no means finest buddies out of the highlight. Their relationship was purely skilled. Proper now they’re shifting in completely completely different instructions profession clever.”

One other supply pushed again on the thought of a fallout, providing a softer clarification.

“They don’t seem to be speaking as a lot as a result of they are not selling the movie collectively on daily basis however that is all,” the second insider mentioned. “After they have been executed selling, they wanted house. It was rather a lot. Intense. Nothing unhealthy however they have been collectively for weeks, so now it is like, ‘Let’s hold with different buddies.’ It isn’t one thing that has been spoken, it has simply been natural. It isn’t dramatic. It is nonetheless all love.”