It has been reported that Ethan Slater, known for his role as Ariana Grande’s Wicked costar, has filed for divorce from his wife, Lilly Jay. Slater submitted the divorce papers in New York on Wednesday, as confirmed by various news outlets.
Following the news of Slater’s divorce filing and his new romance with Ariana Grande, Lilly Jay has broken her silence on the matter.
And today, Jay told Page Six: “[Ariana’s] the story really. Not a girl’s girl.”
“My family is just collateral damage,” she added. “The story is her and Dalton.”
Slater and Jay have been married since 2018 and welcomed a baby son last August. Jay told Page Six she’s now focusing on raising their child and being “a good mom.”
Neither Ariana Grande nor Slater have publicly confirmed their relationship, but the news of Slater’s divorce comes weeks after sources said Grande had ended her two-year marriage to luxury real estate agent Dalton Gomez.
Insiders said the “Thank U, Next” singer and Gomez had been living separate lives since she temporarily moved to London to film Wicked—though their relationship issues started long before. While Grande has not addressed the breakup, she did remove her post from her Instagram about her and Gomez’s wedding.
A source close to Jay told TMZ that Slater’s wife was “completely blindsided” by his moving on with Grande and feels like Slater has “completely turned his back on his family.” She is “heartbroken” and feels “betrayed” by both her ex and Grande, whom Jay met when she and Slater were still together.
Meanwhile, a separate source told the outlet that “Ari and Ethan are just trying to lay low and be respectful of their exes as they pursue this new relationship.” The two reportedly began seeing each other “several months ago” after meeting on set.
As for Gomez’s thoughts on the situation, sources have not revealed much, though an insider did tell People that Grande and Gomez “have been quietly and lovingly working on their friendship” since their separation.
Rosa Sanchez is the senior news editor at Harper’s Bazaar, working on news as it relates to entertainment, fashion, and culture. Previously, she was a news editor at ABC News and, prior to that, a managing editor of celebrity news at American Media. She has also written features for Rolling Stone, Teen Vogue, Forbes, and The Hollywood Reporter.