Ethan Slater's estranged wife, Lilly Jay, has spoken out on the rumors of her ex-husband's new romance with Wicked co-star, Ariana Grande.
Earlier this month, it was revealed that the 30-year-old '7 Rings' singer is set to divorce ex-husband Dalton Gomez, 31, after two years of marriage.
There wasn't much information regarding the split, but Buzzfeed News said that the two have been separated since January and that Grande's fame was a factor in the decision to part ways. They also added that their marriage got more complicated when the musician moved to London to start filming for the Wicked movies in December.
Just days after news broke about her separation from Gomez, fans were left in shock by reports that the 'Thank U Next' hitmaker had found love on set with her co-star Ethan Slater, per E! News.
Ethan Slater with Lilly Jay. Credit: Theo Wargo / GettyBut, the news of their rumored romance left many people confused by the fact that the 31-year-old Broadway alum was married to his wife of four years, Lilly Jay, with whom he shares a son. However, speculations continued to intensify as TMZ reported that the actor filed for divorce from Jay this week.
According to the publication, the SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical star filed the legal docs in New York, and the reason for the dissolution was not immediately clear.
While neither the 'One Last Time' singer nor Slater has officially commented on their relationship status, the latter's ex-wife has broken her silence on the pair.
In an interview with Page Six published yesterday (July 27), Jay - who was in a relationship with Slater for 10 years before marrying him - said: "[Ariana’s] the story really. Not a girl’s girl," and remarked: "My family is just collateral damage."
The musician told the outlet that she's focusing on raising her and her ex-husband's baby and being "a good mom," adding: "The story is her and Dalton" - referencing Grande’s recent split from her former husband.
However, sources have alleged that Jay has been "calling every news outlet to get this story out" but is acting differently towards the Wicked star behind the scenes.
"She’s rightfully upset because her marriage fell apart, but Ariana and Ethan didn’t do anything wrong," the insider reported - alleging that Slater had been separated from Jay for two months before dating Grande. "Ethan is trying to take the high road and hopes he can resolve this situation for the sake of their child," they added.
Following reports that the couple split prior to Slater's relationship with the singer, many fans pointed out that Grande had previously "liked" two of his posts dedicated to his wife.
In one Instagram post, which was shared on Mother’s Day last May, Slater honored Jay by posting a faceless photo of their infant son’s ears and shadow with the caption: "Happy first Mother’s Day to the most loving caring and wonderful mom/person in the world."
And in another from November 2022, the Redheads Anonymous actor celebrated his four-year wedding anniversary with Jay, penning: "My best friend. Four years married. 10 together. And this is easily the best (and most bizarre) yet."
The actor has since made his Instagram account private, a move that some online users claimed "confirmed" the rumored romance between him and the 'Positions' vocalist.
Neither Grande nor Slater have commented on the reports surrounding their relationship.
