Instagram Story Trend: Ethan Slater's Holiday Post Of Ariana Grande Sparks Online Buzz

New Delhi: A simple Instagram Story from American actor Ethan Slater has shot the phrase "Instagram Story" to the top of Google search charts on Monday. Fans and social media users are curious about what caused the sudden spike in searches.

What did Ethan Slater share?

On December 26, the 33-year-old actor shared a series of intimate pictures of his girlfriend, global pop star Ariana Grande, on his Instagram Story. The images showed the 32-year-old singer in relaxed holiday mode, sitting on a couch, smiling and cuddling her dog, alongside friends and festive moments. Ethan captioned one snap with the words "Very merry holidays."

In the pictures, the singer can be seen in an all-black ensemble, a turtleneck, wide-leg trousers, and platform heels, paired with a white headband and pearl earrings.

The photos offered a rare look at the couple's private life. Ariana later reposted some of the pictures on her own Instagram Story with a heart emoji, further fuelling attention online.

Are the two still together?

Rumours about the pair's relationship status had circulated in recent weeks. During a busy period promoting the film 'Wicked: For Good' and with separate public appearances, fans speculated that things might be rocky. But the holiday pictures, shared casually and warmly, appear to counter those rumours.

Before the holiday post, Ethan also showed support for Ariana during her December 20 Saturday Night Live hosting gig by appearing in behind-the-scenes photos with mutual friends.

How did fans react?

Screenshots and reposts of Ethan's Instagram Story quickly spread across social networks and fan pages. That circulation helped push "Instagram Story" into trending searches as users tried to understand why the term was suddenly everywhere.