The divorce of Ethan Slater and Lilly Jay against the backdrop of his romance with Ariana Grande
9 june 2026 в 08:37
In 2023, Ethan Slater separated from his wife, Lilly Jay, with whom he had been married for five years, following reports that the Tony-nominated actor was dating his «Wicked» co-star and now ex-girlfriend Ariana Grande. Information about the romance between Ariana and Ethan surfaced on July 20, 2023. On July 26, 2023, Ethan filed for divorce from Lilly in New York, according to documents obtained by TMZ.
After the release of «Wicked» in theaters, Lilly broke her silence regarding her public divorce in an essay published in The Cut. Without naming Ariana, Lilly spoke about the «public downfall of [her] marriage».
«Slowly but surely, I have come to the realization that in the absence of the life I had planned with my high school friend, my child and I are destined for a life full of sweetness», - Lilly wrote. «No one gets married thinking they will get divorced, just as we don’t board a plane expecting it to crash. But I truly never thought I would get divorced. Especially not right after the birth of my first child and especially not against the backdrop of my husband’s new relationship with a celebrity».
Lilly emphasized that she simply misses the «life of invisibility» that she «created for herself as a psychologist specializing in women’s mental health».
Lilly and Ethan married in their 20s, but they had actually been together from a much earlier age. In 2018, it was revealed that they were classmates in school when Ethan was performing in the Broadway musical «SpongeBob SquarePants», - according to MoCo 360. The couple was engaged at that time. The Drama Desk Award winner shared that they had been dating since 2012 in an Instagram post in November 2022. «My best friend. Four years of marriage, 10 years together», - he wrote in tribute.
After six years together, Lilly and Ethan tied the knot in 2018. At that time, Ethan was starring in «SpongeBob». He also made occasional television appearances in shows like «Law & Order: Special Victims Unit» and «The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel». Lilly was also his companion on many red carpets, including the 2018 Tony Awards, where he was nominated for Best Actor in a Musical.
After four years of marriage, Lilly and Ethan became parents in August, sharing a photo on Instagram with a «Wicked Cute» onesie. In May 2023, he congratulated his wife on Mother’s Day. «Happy first Mother’s Day to the most loving, caring, and wonderful mom/person in the world from me and this little guy», - he wrote on Instagram.
Although Ethan mostly kept his relationship with Lilly private, he did congratulate her on Twitter after she completed her psychology degree in December 2020. «After almost 5 years of hard work, hundreds of hours of research, and writing over 200 pages of paradigm-shifting ideas in psychology, my wife finally defended her thesis. I’m so proud of her and can’t wait to introduce her at parties as 'the doctor,'» he wrote.
Lilly broke her silence about Ethan and Ariana’s romance on July 27, 2023. «[Ariana] is a real story. She’s not the 'girl next door.' My family is just collateral damage», - Lilly said. At that time, she also noted, «The story is her and Dalton», - referring to Ariana and her estranged husband Dalton Gomez. Lilly also told Page Six that she is focused on being a «good mom» to her and Ethan’s son
After the release of «Wicked» in theaters, Lilly broke her silence regarding her public divorce in an essay published in The Cut. Without naming Ariana, Lilly spoke about the «public downfall of [her] marriage».
«Slowly but surely, I have come to the realization that in the absence of the life I had planned with my high school friend, my child and I are destined for a life full of sweetness», - Lilly wrote. «No one gets married thinking they will get divorced, just as we don’t board a plane expecting it to crash. But I truly never thought I would get divorced. Especially not right after the birth of my first child and especially not against the backdrop of my husband’s new relationship with a celebrity».
Lilly emphasized that she simply misses the «life of invisibility» that she «created for herself as a psychologist specializing in women’s mental health».
Lilly and Ethan married in their 20s, but they had actually been together from a much earlier age. In 2018, it was revealed that they were classmates in school when Ethan was performing in the Broadway musical «SpongeBob SquarePants», - according to MoCo 360. The couple was engaged at that time. The Drama Desk Award winner shared that they had been dating since 2012 in an Instagram post in November 2022. «My best friend. Four years of marriage, 10 years together», - he wrote in tribute.
After six years together, Lilly and Ethan tied the knot in 2018. At that time, Ethan was starring in «SpongeBob». He also made occasional television appearances in shows like «Law & Order: Special Victims Unit» and «The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel». Lilly was also his companion on many red carpets, including the 2018 Tony Awards, where he was nominated for Best Actor in a Musical.
After four years of marriage, Lilly and Ethan became parents in August, sharing a photo on Instagram with a «Wicked Cute» onesie. In May 2023, he congratulated his wife on Mother’s Day. «Happy first Mother’s Day to the most loving, caring, and wonderful mom/person in the world from me and this little guy», - he wrote on Instagram.
Although Ethan mostly kept his relationship with Lilly private, he did congratulate her on Twitter after she completed her psychology degree in December 2020. «After almost 5 years of hard work, hundreds of hours of research, and writing over 200 pages of paradigm-shifting ideas in psychology, my wife finally defended her thesis. I’m so proud of her and can’t wait to introduce her at parties as 'the doctor,'» he wrote.
Lilly broke her silence about Ethan and Ariana’s romance on July 27, 2023. «[Ariana] is a real story. She’s not the 'girl next door.' My family is just collateral damage», - Lilly said. At that time, she also noted, «The story is her and Dalton», - referring to Ariana and her estranged husband Dalton Gomez. Lilly also told Page Six that she is focused on being a «good mom» to her and Ethan’s son
© Puhova Marina
