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Days aft Ariana Grande’s 2023 split from ex-husband Dalton Gomez made headlines, news collapsed that she was dating Ethan Slater.
Grande and nan character were together for 3 years earlier Page Six confirmed their breakup successful June 2026.
“Ariana and Ethan collapsed up respective months agone but they’ve remained friends since past and person thing but respect and admiration for 1 another,” a root told america astatine nan time. “This wasn’t a determination they took lightly but realized they were amended disconnected friends than successful a committed relationship.”
The insider added, “Ariana is emotion really happy and focused connected nan adjacent section pinch her ‘Eternal Sunshine’ circuit and nan upcoming merchandise of her medium ‘Petal.'”
Grande and Slater met while co-starring successful “Wicked,” successful which they respectively played Glinda nan Good Witch and Boq.
Get to cognize much astir nan Tony nominee’s career, arsenic good arsenic his ex-wife and young son, below.
His Broadway career
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After acting off-Broadway successful “Baghdaddy” and much shows, Slater made his Broadway debut arsenic nan titular characteristic successful nan “SpongeBob SquarePants” play from 2017 to 2018.
In summation to receiving a Drama Desk Award for nan role, Slater was nominated for a Tony.
He went backmost to acting off-Broadway pinch roles successful “Camelot,” “Assassins” and “Goodnight, Oscar” earlier joining Grande and nan remainder of nan “Wicked” cast successful adapting nan play.
His education
Slater, who grew up successful Maryland pinch 2 sisters and 2 stepbrothers, attended Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School and Georgetown Day School.
He went connected to be Vassar College successful Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
The actor, calved successful 1992, was a sophomore successful assemblage erstwhile he landed nan eponymous domiciled successful “SpongeBob SquarePants.”
His emotion life
Slater joined his erstwhile precocious schoolhouse sweetheart Lilly Jay successful 2018, six years aft nan mates began dating.
He penned a rubbing Instagram tribute to his woman successful November 2022, gushing, “My champion friend. 4 years married, 10 years together. And this is easy nan champion (and astir *bizarre*) twelvemonth yet.”
While it is unclear precisely erstwhile Slater and nan scientist called it quits, Jay lashed retired arsenic Grande successful 2023, exclusively telling Page Six nan “Victorious” alum was “not a girl’s girl.”
She oenned a viral effort astir her “sudden” divorce for nan Cut successful 2024.
“Consumed by nan magic and mundanity of caller motherhood, I didn’t understand nan increasing region betwixt us,” Jay wrote astatine nan time, noting that her “darkest” days post-split were erstwhile she couldn’t “escape nan promotion of a movie associated pinch nan saddest days of [her] life.”
His babe boy
Before breaking up, Slater and Jay welcomed a son.
The caller dada revealed nan news successful a January 2023 Instagram post by sharing a photograph of a “Wicked Cute” onesie. “Super vague post, but we person a babe now,” he captioned nan upload.
Four months later, he confirmed nan small one’s activity erstwhile he referred to nan kid arsenic “little guy” while wishing “wonderful” Jay a happy Mother’s Day.
Jay gave uncommon penetration into their co-parenting move successful her 2024 essay, writing, “While our business has changed, our parenthood has not. Both of america fiercely emotion our boy 100 percent of nan time, sloppy of really our parenting clip is divided.”
His and Grande’s breakup
Prior to Page Six confirming Grande and Slater’s split, nan brace group tongues wagging by keeping their region from each different during nan “Wicked: For Good” property circuit successful precocious 2025.
Slater, additionally, skirted a “Today” show mobility astir moving pinch his woman specifically — and, instead, praised nan full cast.
However, eagle-eyed fans speculated nan duo were still going beardown aft spotting Slater successful Elizabeth Gillies’ Instagram carousel supporting Grande’s “Saturday Night Live” hosting gig successful December 2025.
Later that aforesaid month, Slater included nan “Side to Side” vocalist successful his “very merry” vacation roundup.
Once Grande and Slater’s divided was confirmed, societal media users noticed nan second subtly sending emotion to his ex pinch Instagram “likes.”
