Ethan Slater's estranged wife addresses his reported romance with Ariana Grande
Ethan Slater's estranged wife shared her first public comments in the wake of their separation and reports of his romance with Wicked costar Ariana Grande.
Lilly Jay told Page Six that Grande is "the story, really," calling her "not a girl's girl." Jay added, "My family is just collateral damage. The story is her and Dalton." She said her focus at the time is being "a good mom" to her son with Slater, whom they welcomed last year.
Following recent reports that Grande had separated from Dalton Gomez, her real estate agent husband of two years, earlier this year, PEOPLE reported that Grande and Slater had begun dating after meeting on the set of Wicked. Grande portrays Glinda in the Wizard of Oz prequel, while Slater plays Boq, who becomes the love interest of Elphaba's (Cynthia Erivo) younger sister Nessarose (Marissa Bode) after he's rejected by Glinda.
A source previously told PEOPLE that the two started dating following their respective separations from their spouses. Slater reportedly filed for divorce from Jay on Wednesday in New York.
A representative for Slater didn't immediately respond to EW's request for comment.
The actor is best known for his role as SpongeBob SquarePants in the 2017 Broadway musical of the same name, for which he received a Tony Award nomination. Just don't confuse Slater with Tom Kenny, the voice actor behind the sponge in the classic Nickelodeon animated series. Kenny's wife and fellow actor Jill Talley recently set the record straight in response to some confusing headlines, writing on Instagram that her husband of 27 years is not, in fact, dating the pop star and actress.
"I don't know if Ethan Slater (who played SpongeBob in the musical) is or isn't dating Ariana Grande," she said, adding, "However, they're both adorable and I totally ship it. Just wanted to set the record straight."
Wicked: Part 1 is slated for a Nov. 27, 2024 theatrical release.
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