Nothing says you’re winning the popularity contest in Hollywood quite like being nominated for an Academy Award, so it’s not like Ariana Grande, who received her first nomination for the coveted prize this year, is running short on love and adoration at the moment.
Still, her boyfriend and Wicked costar, Ethan Slater, made sure to mark the occasion with a little love of his own in a low-key appreciation post for Grande amid her celebration of the momentous career first.
In a caption-less post, Slater let the photo speak for itself as he offered fans a rare look into his and Grande’s notoriously private life together as a couple as she celebrated the nomination.
In the photo, Grande stands with her back to the camera, wearing a long white sweater while looking out of a window (and standing barefoot on the threshold to a balcony) and holding about a dozen balloons—appropriately in her Wicked character Glinda’s signature light pink. The overall mood of the picture, which, according to Page Six, was taken at the couple’s hotel room in London, is one of contemplative gratitude.
Grande was in London for a press junket for Wicked when news broke that she had been nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Glinda in the film. Speaking to Deadline, Grande said the nomination was both “overwhelming” and “affirming” and that she never imagined she would be nominated for an Oscar for the performance, noting, “it’s my first movie and being able to play this role was the greatest gift of my life.”
“It was the greatest gift of my life being cast in this. It’s something that I wanted more than anything in the world,” she added when asked what playing Glinda meant to her. “A lot of people say I manifested it, but my mom taught me at a very young age that that’s only a tiny piece of the puzzle, and that gifts like this have to be earned. I’m grateful every single day for her. I’ve learned so much from her. I’ve healed through her, and she’ll be with me forever.”