Ethan Slater‘s estranged wife Lilly Jay broke her silence about Ethan’s relationship with Ariana Grande. “[Ariana’s] the story really. Not a girl’s girl,” Lilly told Page Six on July 26, marking the first time she’s addressed the Ethan-Ariana romance that started on the set of Wicked. “My family is just collateral damage,” Lilly also said, before adding, “The story is her and Dalton.” Lilly is taking about Ariana and her estranged husband Dalton Gomez, 27, whom the pop star separated from in January 2023 after less than two years of marriage.
As for high school sweethearts Ethan, 31, and Lilly, they were also reportedly separated when the Broadway star started dating Ariana after she became single. Lilly told Page Six that she’s currently focused on being “a good mom” to her and Ethan’s son, who was born in 2022.
However, Page Six sources claimed that Lilly has been “calling every news outlet to get this story out,” all the while she’s telling Ethan “that she only cares about protecting their child.” An insider told the publication that Lilly “is rightfully upset because her marriage fell apart, but Ariana and Ethan didn’t do anything wrong.”
The Page Six source reiterated that Lilly and Ethan were separated for two months before Ariana came into the picture. Ethan, meanwhile, “is trying to take the high road and hopes he can resolve this situation for the sake of their child,” the insider claimed.
The news of Ethan and Ariana’s reported relationship broke on July 20. Six days later, Ethan filed for divorce from Lilly in New York after five years, per documents reportedly obtained by TMZ. As we mentioned before, Ariana and Ethan were both allegedly separated from their respective partners, before they started dating. The pair hit it off on the set of Wicked, where Ariana is playing Glinda, while Ethan is playing Boq. Lilly was reportedly “blindsided” by her split from Ethan, according to Page Six. A source also claimed that the people around Ethan and Lilly think Ariana was the cause of their breakup.
Ethan nor Ariana has commented on the relationship rumors or their respective divorces at the time of this writing.