The wife of Ariana Grande’s Wicked co-star Ethan Slater has reportedly been “blindsided” by reports that the actors are dating.
Earlier this week, it was reported that Grande, 30, had separated from her husband of two years, Dalton Gomez. Though the “thank u, next” singer has not yet commented on claims that they are seeking a divorce, images from Grande and Gomez’s May 2021 nuptials are no longer visible on her Instagram page.
Soon after claims of a marriage split emerged, it was then reported that Grande was dating Slater, 31, with whom she has been filming the film version of the musical Wicked in London since 2022.
According to Page Six, Slater’s wife, Lilly Jay, has been shocked by the news reports about Slater and Grande, after apparently splitting suddenly this year.
“It’s horrible. They were high school sweethearts,” a source told the publication. “They have a baby! She’s a wreck.”
The publication also shared comments from sources that speculate that Slater’s connection with Grande is a reason why he and Jay “suddenly broke up now when nothing appeared wrong between them”.
Jay and Slater have been married since 2018 and celebrated their 10th anniversary as a couple in November 2022.
The former SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical star shared his appreciation for Jay in May in celebration of Mother’s Day. In an Instagram post of a picture of their infant son’s hands, he wrote: “Happy first Mother’s Day to the most loving caring and wonderful mom/person in the world.”
Ethan Slater and Lilly Jay— (Getty Images for The Langham, New York)
Slater has made his Instagram private in the days since reports linking him and Grande.
The Independent has approached Ethan Slater and Ariana Grande for comment.
Grande and Gomez, a real estate agent, are said to have ended their relationship in January.
The couple married on 15 May 2021 at a small ceremony in front of fewer than 20 guests, including friends and family, in the singer’s home in Montecito, California.
After TMZ claimed that the pair were “headed towards divorce” on Monday (17 July), People quoted a source as saying that the couple began growing apart when Grande began spending much of her time in the UK for Wicked. She is playing Glinda the Good Witch in the cinematic adaptation from Winnie Holtz and Stephen Schwartz’s stage show, which is based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel.
“[Gomez] is super focused on his career and needs to live in Los Angeles,” the source claimed. “It’s definitely been an issue for them. Dalton’s career is demanding and he can’t leave Los Angeles often. So when [Grande] started filming Wicked in England, they were in for a long-distance marriage.”
However, Grande and Gomez are said to have remained “really good friends throughout the entire process”.
