Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater’s romance started under complicated circumstances on the set of Wicked in London in 2023 — and now, those choices might be coming back to haunt at least one of them.
While both Grande — then married to Dalton Gomez — and Slater have denied they engaged in an affair, his ex-wife, Dr. Lilly Jay, has told the world otherwise. The 33-year-old Broadway star is now reflecting on his life choices after “mending” his relationship with Jay as they work to co-parent their three-year-old son amicably.
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“He sometimes wonders if he should have stayed in his quieter world; the contrast is brutal,” a source told the Daily Mail.
Ethan Slater (L) attends the Elton John AIDS Foundation’s 17th Annual An Enduring Vision Benefit at Cipriani 42nd Street on November 5, 2018 in New York City.
The issue is that Grande has a big life and an even bigger entourage constantly following her around. With promotional appearances for Wicked: For Good ahead and a 2026 world tour for her music career, it leaves little private time for the 32-year-old pop star and her boyfriend.
“He loves her, but he’s drowning in the circus of her life,” the source continued. “He’s used to a controlled Broadway stage, not sold-out arenas screaming for every move. Even when he’s home, he’s mentally halfway through the tour or rehearsals. It’s exhausting just watching him try to keep up.”
There are even rumors that Grande and Slater broke up, but that likely won’t be revealed until after the Wicked hype has died down — if that story is even true. But Slater has been spending time with Jay and their son; an eyewitness spotted them together in early September.
“He looked really happy, just pushing the stroller like any other parent. Just a few steps ahead was a woman who looked exactly like his ex, Jay, helping a little kid ride in one of those toy wagons,” they told Star Magazine.
Jay blew up her ex-husband’s alleged affair in December 2024 with an essay for The Cut titled, “How Does My Divorce Make You Feel?” She discussed the emotional impact of divorcing “in the shadow of my husband’s new relationship with a celebrity.” She claimed she was “essentially silenced” from telling her side of the story, but in the early days, fans heard her loudly and clearly.
“[Ariana’s] the story really. Not a girl’s girl,” she told Page Six right after Slater filed for divorce in July 2023. “My family is just collateral damage.”
Those choices made in 2023 continue to have a ripple effect, and it could be Slater who regrets it the most.
Before you go, click here to see celebrity couples who were married to other people when they met.
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‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com ’
