Did Ethan Slater Cheat With Ariana Grande? His Wife Was ‘Collateral Damage’
She reportedly only found out that her estranged husband was dating someone else just days before it went public. Now everyone is beginning to wonder if Ethan Slater cheated with Ariana Grande on his wife of four years.
Slater and Lilly Jay were married in 2018 and have been together since high school. Grande and Slater are co-stars in the new Wicked movie. The “thank u next” singer will be portraying Glinda in the movie adaptation of the hit Broadway musical. Slater plays Boq, the love interest of Elphaba’s sister Nessarose. Slater rose to fame playing the titular role in The SpongeBob SquarePants Musical. He also welcomed his first child with Jay in late 2022. Sources confirmed to multiple outlets that Grande and Slater were dating in late July 2023, and that both of them had separated from their marriage partners. “She and Ethan recently began dating, and he is separated from his wife,” a source told People. Slater officially filed for divorce on July 26, 2023, per TMZ.
A source told Entertainment Tonight that Jay was “devastated” by the breakup. “This is not the future she had in mind,” the source said, “She’s doing her best to get back on her feet. She’s incredibly smart and driven” and “she is truly the best mother.” While another source told Page Six that Jay was “completely blindsided” by the relationship. “It’s horrible. They were high school sweethearts. They have a baby! She’s a wreck,” the source said. Now, she’s setting the record straight herself, speaking with news outlets to give her side of the story and it’s only fueling rumors that Ethan Slater cheated on his wife with Ariana Grande.
Did Ethan Slater cheat on his wife with Ariana Grande?
We may never know for sure if Ethan Slater cheated on his wife with Ariana Grande, but his estranged wife Lilly Jay said she felt “betrayed” by the news he was dating someone else so soon after they split.
She told Page Six that “[Ariana’s] the story really. Not a girl’s girl. My family is just collateral damage.” She explained that she’s focusing on raising her and Slater’s baby and being “a good mom.” She added to TMZ that “I’m focused on my son and doing my best to navigate a spotlight I have never wanted or experienced before.” She added that she’s “watching with horror as stories are published speaking to my experience.”
Several sources told Us Weekly about their relationship status before he moved on to Grande. “Ethan sat Lilly down a few days before the news broke about him and Ariana and said that he wanted a divorce. Lilly never saw it coming!” said one source. Another insider assured that the married couple “were separated when they started dating and the relationship is recent.” They explained, “it’s understandable that it’s difficult to see an ex move on, especially in such a public way, and they are trying to be as respectful as possible,” the third source adds. Though Slater’s friends might be skeptical of the relationship, with sources adding that “[They’re] worried she’ll break his heart.”
On Mother’s Day, 2023, Slater made an Instagram post in tribute to his wife. “My best friend. 4 years married, 10 years together. And this is easily the best (and most *bizarre*) year yet.” Grande liked the post and Slater made his Instagram account private after news broke of their relationship.
Grande is contending with rumors of infidelity on her side, too. On July 17, 2023, TMZ reported that Grande and Dalton Gomez were divorcing after she was seen without her wedding ring at Wimbledon. The two had been together since 2020. According to sources, the coupe just couldn’t make it work post-COVID and the level of Grande’s fame wasn’t something Gomez was at all prepared for. “When Covid restrictions lifted, we’re told their differences became alarmingly apparent. Dalton, a luxury real estate agent, was taken aback by Ariana’s celebrity. He had not dealt with her schedule, the paparazzi and the various opportunities that took her out of L.A.,” TMZ reported. “We’re told Dalton would sometimes question why they needed to go around town with security, something that was a must for Ariana. Their differences started to make the marriage unravel, and it was greatly exacerbated when she went to England last December to begin filming Wicked.”
ET also confirmed the news of the breakup and that Gomez has been dating since their separation. “They’ve been quietly and lovingly working on their friendship,” the insider said. Another source said, “Ariana and Dalton’s friends have always been concerned by their whirlwind romance and felt their relationship would ultimately be short-lived. Their relationship has been rocky at different points, and they’ve had trouble making time for each other with scheduling issues.” Another source told People, “Dalton is very religious and was committed to making it work, but Ariana had moved on.”
This isn’t Grande’s first time she has been accused of cheating. Fans on social media compiled evidence of Ariana’s infidelity and involvement in other people’s relationships. One tweet that documents the history has over 41 million views and over 40,000 likes.
In 2013, her ex-boyfriend Jai Brooks wrote an extended tweet that he was cheated on by Graande with Nathan Sykes. “Yes I was cheated on. Yes it does suck. Yes I was left for another man,” Jai wrote. “I happen to be one of those people and I’m in a situation where I am constantly reminded of it every day. Like anyone who has been cheated on, it has been tough for me but I’m finally ready to move on.”
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