Ariana Grande’s brother Frankie gushes about singer’s ‘wonderful’ boyfriend Ethan Slater… after fans joked about them looking like twins

Ariana Grande’s older brother, Frankie Grande, has shared his thoughts on his sister’s relationship with “amazing” boyfriend Ethan Slater.

The We Can’t Be Friends singer, 30, was first confirmed to be dating the Tony nominee, 32, in July last year — shortly after her split from ex-husband, Dalton Gomez.

While recently attending Gurus Magazine’s #30Voices30Days launch party in Los Angeles, Frankie – who was previously trolled by fans who claimed he and Ethan looked like twins – spoke about the actor during an interview with TooFab.

‘I love him, he is a very sweet boy. I’ve been a fan of his since I saw him in SpongeBob [the musical]Ariana’s brother said.

“And I got to interview him when I did the SpongeBob SquarePants podcast. And the Broadway community is a close-knit family.”

‘He’s a great guy. Ethan is a great guy,” Frankie continued. ‘He is very sweet. He is very sweet. I just adore him.”

“I… 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’m very happy.’

Ariana and Ethan met while filming the upcoming musical adaptation Wicked in England, which will hit theaters later this year on November 27.

Frankie recalled having the opportunity to visit his younger sister on the set of the film, and witnessed the former Nickelodeon actress and Cynthia Erivo film the song Defying Gravity.

‘I was on set. I got to visit my sister and Cynthia, I was there when they recorded Defying Gravity, which was so incredible.”

“I mean, to see my little sister, who I’ve been her biggest fan and cheerleader her whole life, play her dream role at that level and be so good at it, I was a mess.”

The Broadway star admitted, “I cried and you know, I cried 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 a mess when she told us.”

“She actually came to see me at a show and she pulled me aside and told me, and we both laid down on the floor crying. Like it was as dramatic as you could imagine.”

Frankie added: ‘It was a beautiful moment and every moment since has been absolutely magical, magical! No pun intended.”

It comes after Ariana was trolled by fans who were quick to point out that her boyfriend bears a striking resemblance to her older brother.

Creator Katie McBroom of @martinisandmascara was one of the first to comment on the disturbing similarities, sharing photos of Frankie and Ethan side by side with the caption: ‘I’m no Freud… but this seems interesting. ‘

Following the post, dozens of other social media users, including none other than Charlotte Freud, Sigmund’s own great-granddaughter, responded with the pointed comment: “As a Freud, I can agree that this is damn weird.”

‘[T]thank you…yikes,” said another with a pun on the popular Ariana song.

A third echoed: ‘I can’t get over the fact that she would literally destroy a marriage with someone who looks like her brother. This is mentally sick.”

“It’s like I’ve known you all my life,” someone else joked.

The distance also spread to TikTok, where people seemed no less disturbed.

‘[T]What’s not the same person?’ one person wrote in a slideshow juxtaposing the two, cheekily set to Justin Timberlake’s Mirrors.

‘BYE. The way they both smile more to one side,” wrote another.

A post on Reddit sub r/EthanSlaterSnark read, “Break up with my brother…I’m bored” — alongside another barely distinguishable juxtaposition of Ariana’s brother and current boyfriend.

In July last year, it was confirmed that Ariana had split from ex-husband Dalton, although it was later revealed that the pair had officially split months earlier in January.

Slater also divorced his wife, Lilly Jay, after the two tied the knot in 2018. The former couple also shares a son who was welcomed into the world in August 2022.

That same month in July 2023, a source said People that Grande and Slater were in a relationship. ‘[Ariana] and Ethan recently started dating, and he divorced his wife.”

And a few months later, in September, the singer officially filed for divorce from Dalton — and shortly after, Gomez filed as well. The divorce was finalized earlier this year, in March.

In October, a separate insider inquired We weekly that Ariana and Ethan had moved in together in New York.

“Ethan has informed his friends and soon-to-be ex-wife [Lilly Jay] that he lives full-time with Ariana in New York,” the source said. ‘They are very happy and very good for each other. All her friends love him.”

She also supported Ethan by attending some of his Spamalot shows in the Big Apple, including attending the final performance this year in April.

In February, Grande commented on the story surrounding her relationship with Slater The Zach Sang Show.

“I feel like we don’t have to go into details,” the actress said. “But of course there is an insatiable frustration, an inexplicable, hellish feeling when you see how people misunderstand the people you love, and you and whatever.”

On March 8, Ariana released her seventh studio album, titled Eternal Sunshine, which featured the single Yes, And?

“Ariana is feeling great overall and is super proud of her new album,” a source said Entertainment tonight at the time. “Ethan has been by her side and supported her both personally and professionally.”

In April, some of the Wicked cast – including Ariana and Ethan – attended CinemaCon 2024 in Las Vegas together.

And most recently, Grande lovingly supported Slater during the opening night of his Cafe Carlyle residency in New York late last month in May.