- Ariana Grande starred in the film adaptation of ‘Wicked’ alongside Ethan Slater
- The pop star previously separated from her husband, Dalton Gomez
- Ethan reportedly filed for divorce from his wife and the mother of his only child
Ariana Grande reportedly moved on with one of her Broadway costars following her surprise split with husband Dalton Gomez. The pop star, 31, is dating her Wicked co-star Ethan Slater, 32, according to PEOPLE, who reported the alleged news on July 20. “Ariana and Dalton separated in January. She and Ethan recently began dating, and he is separated from his wife,” a source told the outlet. On July 26, TMZ claimed to have obtained documents filed by Ethan in New York, moving to end his marriage to wife of five years, Lilly Jay. An official reason for the divorce has not yet been disclosed. Hollywood Life has reached out to Ariana and Ethan’s reps for comment.
Ariana had busy been perfecting her Glinda witch for the film adaptation of the beloved musical, as seen on her Instagram, while Ethan took over the role of Boq, the love interest of Elphaba’s sister Nessarose, which he also posted about on his Instagram. While filming the flick in London, Ariana separated from Dalton. Ethan reportedly also separated from his wife of five years, although it is unclear when the couple, who had been together since 2012, split.
While Hollywood Life continues to get to the bottom of the reported romance, let’s take a closer look at the rumored new man in Ariana’s life. Learn all about Ethan, below.
Ethan Slater Played SpongeBob SquarePants in Broadway Musical
Ethan, born June 2, 1992 took his love of drama to Vassar College and then to the Great White Way. He quickly rose to fame playing the title role in the SpongeBob SquarePants musical on Broadway, for which he was nominated for a Tony Award in 2018. “It was a stroke of luck,” he told PEOPLE that year of landing the gig. Although he didn’t take home the trophy, he did win a Drama Desk Award for the role.
Ethan Slater Set To Play Boq in ‘Wicked’ Films Alongside Ariana Grande
As mentioned, the two stars are taking over two iconic roles in the Wicked film series. Ariana is scheduled to play Glinda for the second part of the series, while Ethan has signed on for another go at Boq in Part Two as well. The first installment will drop on November 27, 2024, just in time for the holiday season, while Wicked: Part Two will be released on November 26, 2025.
Ethan Slater Married His High School Sweetheart
Ethan married high school classmate Lilly Jay in November 2018, as seen here. For their two year anniversary, Ethan shared a gorgeous black and white snap from their wedding, captioning it, “Two years into marriage and we still find each other funny. Phew.Happy anniversary to the love of my life.”
He Welcomed A Son In 2022
In January, Ethan took to Instagram to reveal that he and Lilly were the proud parents of their first child. In an adorable photo carousel, Ethan shared a snap of a onesie that read “Wicked Cute” alongside the caption, “Super vague post, but we have a baby now,” he wrote, later confirming on Mother’s Day via Instagram that they’d welcomed a son. “Happy first Mother’s Day to the most loving caring and wonderful mom/person in the world. – from me and this little guy,” Ethan wrote.
He’s Guest Appeared On Several, Emmy Winning Shows
Ethan is no slouch when it comes to his acting resume. Alongside his Broadway accolades, Ethan has also been a part of numerous television shows. You can find him flexing his drama skills in such Emmy-winning programs as Law & Order: SVU, Fosse/Verdon and The Marvelous Mrs. Maison, per his IMDB.