Ethan Slater has hit back at criticism of his romance with Ariana Grande.
The couple sparked controversy when they fell for each other after filming the fantasy musical Wicked together - with 32-year-old Slater's marriage to Lilly Jay imploding almost immediately before he went official with Grande, 31.
Now the actor - who shares a young son with his ex-wife - has admitted the public scrutiny was hard to navigate as his romance with the pop singer blossomed.
He told GQ, "I think there was something that was really difficult about things in your private life being commented on and looked at by the public.
"There were a lot of big changes in private lives that were really happening, so it's really hard to see people who don't know anything about what's happening commenting on it and speculating, and then getting things wrong about the people you love. So just to address that part of it, that feels really hard."
Grande's own marriage to Dalton Gomez also collapsed very close to her new relationship with Slater - sparking excessive speculation about the new romance among her fanbase.
The Problem singer herself lashed out over the speculation earlier this month, telling Vanity Fair, "The most disappointing part was to see so many people believe the worst version of it. That was definitely a tough ride."
