When Ariana Grande was reported to be dating the star of SpongeBob SquarePants, it appears some people may have been confused as to exactly who her new beau is.
She is not dating the man behind the iconic Nickelodeon character, but rather her Wicked co-star Ethan Slater, who is known for his role as the beloved sponge in SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical.
Headlines about their budding romance sparked confusion among fans, leading Jill Talley, the wife of Tom Kenny (the voice of SpongeBob for over two decades), to step in and set the record straight.
The rumors began to circulate after The Cut's Instagram post on July 20 raised the question, "Is Ariana Grande Dating SpongeBob Now?"
Keen to clear up any confusion, Talley swiftly responded to the post, stating, "Hi everyone, I'm married to Tom Kenny (who voices SpongeBob on the TV show). He is not dating Ariana Grande."
She went on to mention Slater and expressed her approval of the potential pairing, adding, "However, they're both adorable and I totally ship it."
This rather odd turn of events coincided with Talley and Kenny's 27th wedding anniversary. Talley confirmed the happy occasion in her post, signing off with a red heart emoji.
The whispers about Grande's new romance with Slater came just days after news that the 7 Rings singer is set to divorce Dalton Gomez after two years of marriage.
According to an insider who spoke to E! News, the two stars of the upcoming Wicked film had only recently started dating, with Grande and Gomez reportedly remaining friends.
The source also reported that Slater, who received a Tony nomination for his Broadway performance as SpongeBob, had separated from his wife of four years, Lilly Jay, with whom he shares a son.
Neither Grande nor Slater have officially commented on their relationship status, with Slater making his Instagram account private and Grande removing her wedding photos with Gomez.
In the months preceding the public revelation of her new relationship, Grande expressed in a heartfelt Instagram post how the process of creating the Wicked musical remake had been a healing experience for her.
She shared her deep connection to the character of Galinda and the profound impact the experience was having on her, stating on April 3, "Savoring every millisecond left with my Galinda (although she'll be with me irrevocably, forever).
"To be here in Oz where everyday is a life changing one... To be transforming and healing parts of me that i never knew needed it. or maybe did. I don't want it to end. so while i am still here, present, now, i just wanted to…. exclaim my tremendous gratitution! and allow my heart to overflow."