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Ariana Grande’s romance with Ethan Slater is moving forward. A source told People that Slater and Grande are now “full-on dating.” It comes hours after TMZ reported that Slater filed for divorce from Lilly Jay, his partner of 10 years, wife of four years, and the mother of his son, who is less than one year old.
Jay is struggling with the split, a second source told People: “They were together for so long; they met when they were in high school. They were inseparable. It’s devastating for Lilly.”
Grande and Slater, Wicked co-stars, had chemistry on set that was apparent to those working on the film. “It was obvious on the set from early on … they were very sweet to each other and often seen laughing together,” the source said. (Grande plays Glinda while Slater plays Boq, who has an unrequited crush on Glinda.) The cast and crew dismissed it as friendship, given they were both married to other people. Grande, of course, is now separated from her husband of two years, Dalton Gomez.
“Everyone just thought they were both happily married though and didn’t expect them to end up dating,” the source said. A third source told People that they did not date until they were separated from their spouses.
TMZ reported that Slater filed divorce papers in New York yesterday; the outlet noted that the reason for the split is not yet known.
Lilly Jay, Ethan Slater, and Ariana Grande
A source close to Grande and Slater acknowledged both their exes’ pain in processing the new relationship and the fact their separations will become divorces.
“It’s understandable that emotions are high and it’s hard seeing your ex move on, especially in such a public way, and her friends are trying to protect her,” the source said of Jay. “But Ari and Ethan are just trying to lay low and be respectful of their exes as they pursue this new relationship.” TMZ reported that Slater and Grande have been dating for “several months,” per its sources.
One source told Us Weekly this week that Slater asked Jay for a divorce just days before his romance with Grande went public. “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!” the source said. A second source close to Grande denied this.
Neither Grande nor Slater have publicly commented on their relationship.
Senior News and Strategy Editor
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.