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Who Is Ethan Slater? Meet the ‘Wicked’ Actor Amid Ariana Grande Dating Rumors
Moving on wicked fast. Ariana Grande is reportedly moving on following her split from husband Dalton Gomez. News of the couple’s breakup broke in July, despite Ari and Dalton quietly separating earlier this year. Now, the “Thank U, Next” artist has been linked to her Wicked costar Ethan Slater. Keep reading for details on Ethan, including his former girlfriends and his relationship with Ariana.
When Did Ariana and Dalton Split?
The former couple were first linked in early 2020, after being spotted out and about in Los Angeles. He went on to star in Ariana’s music video for her song with Justin Bieber, “Stuck With U.”
Their whirlwind romance peaked after just nine months when they announced their engagement via Instagram as Ariana showed off her diamond with the caption, “Forever n then some.” After tying the knot in May 2021, the pair lead a mostly quiet life. However, just two years later, rumors began swirling that the lovebirds had called it quits.
“They were having issues before she left for Wicked filming [in London] that they couldn’t resolve,” a source told Us Weekly in July. “The distance did not help. They haven’t been speaking and are separated, and a divorce is likely.”
When Did Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater Meet?
The “Save Your Tears” singer met Ethan on the set of the upcoming film adaptation of Wicked. While Ariana is set to play Glinda, Ethan was cast as Boq, Elphaba’s sister Nessarose’s love interest. The film began shooting in December 2022 in the U.K.
Is Ethan Slater Married?
The SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical star married his high school sweetheart, Lilly Jay, in November 2018.
Shortly before leaving to film the Wizard of Oz prequel, Ethan and Lilly celebrated their four-year wedding anniversary.
“My best friend. 4 years married, 10 years together,” he captioned a series of photos with his estranged wife in November 2022. “And this is easily the best (and most *bizarre*) year yet.”
In January 2023, Ethan announced via Instagram that he and Lilly had welcomed their first child together in 2022. He called Lilly “the most loving caring and wonderful mom” in a sweet Mother’s Day tribute in May.
Ethan filed for a contested divorce from Lilly in court records viewed by In Touch, on July 26. The status of the case is currently pending as of publication, and no reason was provided as to why the couple is divorcing.
Are Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater Dating?
While neither Ariana nor Ethan have commented on the dating rumors, multiple outlets have reported that the costars are seeing each other since their splits from their respective spouses.
Ariana and Ethan did not immediately respond to In Touch’s request for comment.
Lilly broke her silence on Ariana and Ethan’s rumored relationship in a statement on July 27, 2023. “[Ariana’s] the story really. Not a girl’s girl,” she said. “My family is just collateral damage. … The story is her and Dalton [Gomez].”
What Else Has Ethan Slater Starred In?
Aside from his upcoming role in the film adaptation of Wicked, Ethan has appeared in episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Murphy Brown and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
While his film and television roles are few, he is perhaps best known for portraying the titular character in Broadway’s SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical, including in the 2019 live television adaptation.
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