Photo illustration: by The Cut; Photos: Getty Images

At the Los Angeles premiere of Bad (part one) Last weekend, photographers caught Ariana Grande adjusting her boyfriend Ethan Slater’s bow tie on the red carpet. People called it a “sweet moment.” Marie Claire called the interaction “cute.” Even ‘Page Six’ said it was ‘cute’. I couldn’t have predicted the cultural embrace of this sweet relationship in July 2023, when TMZ broke the news that the co-stars were dating while still married to other people.

Through a combination of carefully worded statements, choice paparazzi moments and absolute dedication to the Bad Brand, Grande, 31, and Slater, 32, have somehow taken their relationship from scandal to sweet. I haven’t seen such an impressive PR turnaround since the Julia Roberts-Danny Moder affair in 2002.

The beginning of Grande and Slater’s romance may have been messy, but they seem to be smoothing everything out. Come on Bad (part one) Finally hitting theaters next week, let’s all come together to reflect on how they got here.

Slater marries his high school sweetheart Lilly Jay a few months after being nominated for a Tony for his role as SpongeBob in the film. SpongeBob SquarePants musical.

Grande marries real estate agent Dalton Gomez in a small ceremony at her Montecito home. According to FashionGrande wore a custom Vera Wang gown and an Audrey Hepburn-inspired short veil.

Grande and her co-star Cynthia Erivo announced on Instagram that they have been cast as Glinda and Elphaba in Bad.

Slater and Jay welcome a baby boy together.

Slater posts a tribute to Jay on Instagram on the occasion of their wedding anniversary. Grande “likes” the post.

Slater’s role as Boq in the Bad films are announced and Grande and Slater both head to London to begin filming.

According to Grande’s divorce documents, Grande and Gomez are currently separating.

But are they divorced? Grande posted a tribute to Gomez on Instagram on their wedding anniversary with the caption, “I love him so much.” The message has now been deleted. A few days later, Slater wishes Jay a happy first Mother’s Day. (Grande “likes” that post too.)

Here’s where it gets interesting. First film on the Bad films are closed in London due to the SAG strike. Then, a few days later, Grande is spotted at Wimbledon with her co-star Jonathan Bailey, and she isn’t wearing her wedding ring. TMZ reports the next day that she and Gomez are over. A few days after that, TMZ and People confirm that Slater and Grande are dating.

“Ariana and Dalton split in January,” a source said People. “She and Ethan recently started dating, and he divorced his wife.”

Gomez is quiet about this development, but Jay is not. She tells “Page Six” that Grande is “not a girly girl” and that her family is “collateral damage.”

Slater then files for divorce from Jay.

After a few months of silence, Grande files for divorce from Gomez. She lists the couple’s divorce date as February 20, 2023. Later that month, TMZ publishes some blurry photos of Grande and Slater with friends at Disney World.

“Although this whole situation has been blown out of proportion, it is very different from what has been publicly portrayed,” said a “friend of the couple.” People. “They are just trying to navigate their new relationship privately.”

“People have tried to question the timeline,” another source added. “The truth is that Ariana and Ethan only started seeing each other after both parties had respectfully parted ways.”

Grande attends Slater’s opening performance Spama lot on Broadway.

Grande releases the first single from her new album Eternal sunshineentitled “Yes, and?” She references the tabloid buzz about her relationship quite directly, writing “Why do you care so much whose dick I ride?”

Fans note that “Eternal Sunshine” and “Ethan Slater” have the same first letters. Ooh!

Grande’s divorce has been finalized.

Grande’s half-brother, Frankie Grande, speaks about the relationship for the first time during a red carpet interview with TooFab. “He’s very, very, very sweet,” he says of Slater. ‘I just adore him. Honestly, I’ve always said this: all I want is for my sister to be happy, and if she’s happy, I’m happy too. So I am very happy.”

A few days later, Grande and Slater make their first public appearance together at the Stanley Cup Finals in Florida, 11 months after their relationship was announced.

Slater’s divorce has been finalized. Grande appears on the cover of Vanity fair alongside Erivo and says “evil, disreputable tabloids” misrepresented her relationship with Slater. “The most disappointing thing was that so many people believed the worst version of it,” she says. “That was definitely a tough ride.”

She adds that she will “never go into specific details,” but insists that “there cannot be a less accurate representation of a human being than that which the tabloids spread” about her boyfriend.

Slater discusses his side of the story (sort of) in an interview with GQ.

“It was obviously a really big year,” he says. “And I think there was something very difficult about having things in your private life commented on and viewed by the public. There were a lot of big changes in private lives that actually happened, so it’s very difficult to have people who don’t know anything about what’s happening comment and speculate on that and then get things wrong about the people you love. So to address that part of it, it feels very difficult.

With their vague statements to the media out of the way, Grande and Slater embark on a whirlwind tour of premieres and publicity performances Bad.

After almost 18 months to process their relationship, fans seem ready to accept it. One offers Slater a friendship bracelet to give to Grande on the red carpet at the Sydney premiere; images of this meeting are going viral online.

“Ethan Slater seems like the kindest and most genuine person,” says the “Wicked News Hub” account on X. “The world owes him an apology.”

Ladies and gentlemen, they did it. Now Grande and Slater just have to stay happily together and scandal-free until the second Bad movie comes out – in a whole year. I believe in them!