Featured Image Credit: Eric McCandless/Disney via Getty Images
Topics: Celebrity, Oscars, Wicked, Ariana Grande, Entertainment
Bec Oakes
Topics: Celebrity, Oscars, Wicked, Ariana Grande, Entertainment
Fans have been left cringing after hearing Ethan Slater's answer to a question about partner Ariana Grande during an interview on the Oscars red carpet.
Last night (2 February), A-Listers descended on Hollywood's Dolby Theater for the 97th Academy Awards to celebrate the best films from the past 12 months.
The evening's biggest winners were Anora - which scooped up five awards including Best Picture and Best Director - The Brutalist with three awards, and Dune: Part Two, Emilia Pérez and Wicked with two awards each.
Among the stars to walk the red carpet prior to the prestigious ceremony was Ethan Slater, who played Boq in the Wicked film adaptation, but his awkwardness during an interview has resulted in fans branding it a 'hard watch.'
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Slater has officially been in a relationship with Ariana Grande - who was nominated for the Best Actress in a Supporting Role Oscar for playing Wicked's Glinda - since July 2023, but the pair were reported to have been romantically involved for months before, having grown close on the film's set.
Naturally, the media wanted to know how Grande had been feeling in the run-up to the big night.
In a clip that has since been posted on TikTok, one reporter asked Slater: "How's your girl feeling tonight?"
The star then awkwardly giggled giggled, before responding: "Oh, you mean Ariana? She's doing great.
"She's so excited, we're all so excited, I can't believe that I get to be in the Oscars, this is amazing."
Viewers of the video, which has since racked up 1.3 million views, were quick to point out just how awkward the interaction was.
One user wrote in the video's comments: "Hard watch, thanks," with another echoing: "Hard watch, they didn't even sit next to or near each other at the Oscars."
A third joked: "What other girl does he have lmao," and a fourth quipped: "Like who he think they was talking about fr."
Ultimately, Grande, 31, didn't pick up the Oscar, losing out to Emilia Pérez's Zoe Saldaña, and it's safe to say the megastar's fans were not happy about it.
The Wicked actress was gracious in her loss, immediately standing when her competitor's name was called as the winner with a colossal smile splashed across her face.
But many fans watching from home were left disgruntled, posting to social media "JUSTICE FOR ARIANA GRANDE" and claiming that she was 'robbed.'
Luckily, there may be another opportunity for Ariana to scoop up an award, with the musical adaptation's second part due to be released in November 2025.