Ethan Slater filed for divorce from his partner of 10 years, Lilly Jay, yesterday in New York City as outlets report that he’s dating his Wicked co-star Ariana Grande. Jay has spoken to Page Six and Daily Mail about the situation. She didn’t have kind words for Grande while talking to Page Six.
“[Ariana’s] the story really. Not a girl’s girl,” Jay said. “My family is just collateral damage.” She added that her focus is on raising her child, whom she welcomed with Slater in August 2022, and being “a good mom.”
“The story is her and Dalton [Gomez, Grande’s estranged husband],” Jay added. Jay did not give any details beyond that.
She additionally told Daily Mail, “I am focused on rebuilding a life for our son and rebuilding a life for him. This is what I am trying to do and this is my only focus.”
A source close to Jay spoke to Daily Mail about how she, Slater, and Grande hung out together “so many times” in London. That source alleged that after an April set visit, Jay discovered Slater and Grande had been having an affair. The source said that initially, Jay, Slater, Grande, and Gomez were going to move past it and stay in their own relationships.
“There was a period when they were all going to try and work on their marriages and put the whole thing behind them,” the insider said.
It was previously reported by TMZ that Grande and Gomez briefly tried dating again in May but realized after two weeks that they did not work romantically.
The source close to Jay claimed Slater blindsided her by filing for divorce Wednesday, and it was his decision, not hers. The source added that Jay sees no hope for reconciliation and intends to raise their child as a single mother. “What this has done to her family is absolutely disgusting,” the source said.
Neither Slater nor Grande have commented on their relationship since reports of them dating broke last week.
Other sources told Page Six that Jay has been “calling every news outlet to get this story out.” While Jay was not explicitly identified as any outlet’s source until now, insiders did discuss her perspective and devastation to Entertainment Tonight, People, Us Weekly, and TMZ.
One source told Page Six today that despite allegedly talking to outlets about Slater’s treatment of her, Jay is “telling Ethan and others that she only cares about protecting their child. She’s rightfully upset because her marriage fell apart, but Ariana and Ethan didn’t do anything wrong.”
The source also elaborated on the timeline, saying Slater and Jay had privately been separated for two months before he began dating Grande. “Ethan is trying to take the high road and hopes he can resolve this situation for the sake of their child.”
Sources told TMZ that Slater and Grande have been dating for several months. Both are separated from their spouses, with Grande’s separation from her husband of two years beginning in January.
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Alyssa Bailey is the senior news and strategy editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage of celebrities and royals (particularly Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton). She previously held positions at InStyle and Cosmopolitan. When she’s not working, she loves running around Central Park, making people take #ootd pics of her, and exploring New York City.