Date: July 2023
In the wake of Grande’s divorce announcement, news broke that Grande quickly moved on from Gomez to her Wicked co-star Ethan Slater. The pair had been dating for months while the movie was in production.
As for Slater, he is currently married to his high school sweetheart, Lilly Jay, but has filed for divorce, per TMZ. The two have been together for ten years and married in 2018. They share a son, whom Jay gave birth to in August 2022. According to US Weekly, Slater’s estranged wife was blindsided when she learned the actor wanted a divorce. “Ethan sat Lilly down a few days before the news broke about him and Ariana and said that he wanted a divorce. Lilly never saw it coming,” the source stated.
Another source told the outlet that Grande and Slater are keeping things low-key regarding the exes. “It’s understandable that it’s difficult to see an ex move on, especially in such a public way, and they are trying to be as respectful as possible,” the insider said.
A TMZ source revealed details about the new couple, saying, “Ariana and Ethan are dating; however, things are fairly new.” They added, “Ariana and Dalton split in January, and Ethan is separated from his wife. Ariana and Ethan have only recently begun seeing each other,” seemingly debunking Grande’s cheating rumors. “They have a lot of fun together and are enjoying each other’s company,” the source assured.
Recently, Slater’s estranged wife spoke to multiple outlets about the drama surrounding her family. “[Ariana’s] the story really. Not a girl’s girl. My family is just collateral damage,” Jay told Page Six.
She revealed to TMZ that her No.1 priority is her 1-year-old son. “I’m focused on my son and doing my best to navigate a spotlight I have never wanted or experienced before,” adding that she has been “watching with horror” as new outlets release stories about her life. “I am asking for privacy and respect as an individual who is not in the entertainment industry and as a mom. I ask to be left alone to rebuild my life and raise the beautiful boy I gave birth to last year,” she emphasized.
In recent news, Grande is giving Slater space for him to work things out with his estranged wife. According to TMZ, Slater and Jay speak every day about their son. The Wicked actor initiated his intent to co-parent with Jay.
According to the outlet, Slater and Grande haven’t been together in “weeks,” and seeing each other isn’t on their priority list.
Originally published on Complex.
