Ethos Beauty Partners interview questions

I recently applied for a position with Ethos. I wasn’t intending to tell my current boss about this opportunity until I had a written agreement. I went through 4 interviews and a shadowing day. This morning, I spoke to my current boss stating that she was called for a reference from Ethos and didn’t understand why I didn’t talk to them first. This whole exchange bothered me. I provided Ethos three separate references they could call, but instead, they called my current job and forced me into a position where I had to explain myself. I was then told by Ethos that they decided to go in a different direction. So my advice to anyone applying, please make sure that Ethos does not have a relationship with your current employer. They will contact them, even if you specifically tell them not to.