Ethan Slater’s ex-wife Lilly Jay speaks out on divorce amid his new romance with Ariana Grande

• Lilly Jay has publicly discussed her divorce from Ethan Slater and his new relationship with Ariana Grande.
• Lilly and Ethan were high school sweethearts who married in 2018 and share a two-year-old son. 
• Ethan filed for divorce on July 26, 2023, citing irreconcilable differences as the reason for their divorce. 

Lilly Jay opens up about divorce and new beginnings in a heartfelt essay

Ethan Slater‘s ex-wife, Lilly Jay, has shared her feelings about their divorce and his new relationship with Ariana Grande in an emotional essay published in The Cut.

This is the first time Lilly has publicly discussed the situation since their split became widely publicized.

In the essay, she reflects on the emotional turmoil following the end of her six years of marriage to Slater, which she describes as “one of the saddest days of my life.”

Similarly, the 32-year-old clinical psychologist reveals that she never anticipated getting divorced, especially so soon after the birth of their son.

Lilly and Ethan were high school sweethearts who married in 2018 and share a two-year-old son.

In 2022, Lilly moved to the UK with her two-month-old baby to support her husband Ethan during his filming for Wicked, but their relationship eventually fell apart.

The proud mom recalls this decision, expressing that she was “consumed by the magic and mundanity of new motherhood” and did not notice the growing distance between them.

In her essay, she expressed profound sadness about the film’s promotion, which reminds her of her painful past.

“There are days when I can’t escape the promotion of a movie associated with the saddest days of my life. In the countless hours I spend rocking my son to sleep, pushing his stroller, marveling at his sweaty little hands grasping a crayon, I work diligently on my private project of accepting the sudden public downfall of my marriage.”

Lilly also reflects on marriage expectations, comparing them to boarding a plane without expecting it to crash.

She admits that she never thought she would face divorce, particularly not shortly after welcoming her first child and amidst Ethan’s new relationship with a celebrity.

Despite their separation, she praised Ethan for being a dedicated co-parent. She said,

“Both of us fiercely love our son 100 percent of the time, regardless of how our parenting time is divided,”

Additionally, Lilly noted that her career has been affected by the public fallout from her divorce. She noted,

“It’s hard to measure an absence, and I can’t say for sure how much my career has been impacted by what’s out there online. But there have been hints along the way, like the job offer that dissolved without explanation after yet another tabloid news cycle or the patient who’s scheduled for a first appointment but seemingly vanishes.”

Ultimately, Lilly conveys hope for the future, concluding the discussion with a statement,

“Slowly but surely, I have come to belive that in the absence of the life I planned with my high-school sweetheart, a lifetime of sweetness is waiting for me and my child.”

High-Profile Breakups! Lilly and Ethan’s divorce and Ariana Grande’s new romance

Lilly and Ethan finalized their divorce in September 2023 after separating the previous year.

Ethan filed for divorce on July 26, 2023, five years after marrying Lilly. He asked for joint custody of their two-year-old son and cited irreconcilable differences in his divorce filing.

At that time, Ariana Grande was still married to Dalton Gomez but filed for her own divorce in September 2023, citing February 20, 2023, as their separation date.

Ariana finalized her divorce from Gomez in October 2023, agreeing to a $1.25 million settlement instead of spousal support.

Both couples publicly announced their separations within days of each other.

Ariana confirmed her split just three days before revealing her new relationship with Ethan.

Ethan and Ariana first met in 2022 while filming Wicked in the UK, where she plays Glinda and he portrays Boq.

Their relationship has faced significant public scrutiny since it became public in 2023.

However, the couple has openly addressed the intense media attention surrounding their romance.

In an October interview with GQ, Slater expressed the difficulties of having their private lives commented on by outsiders, stating,

“There was something really difficult about things in your private life being commented on and looked at by the public… It’s really hard to see people who don’t know anything about what’s happening commenting on it.”

Grande also defended Slater in a recent Vanity Fair interview, arguing that the tabloids have misrepresented him. She said,

“There couldn’t be a less accurate depiction of a human being than the one that the tabloids spread about him. No one on this earth tries harder or spreads themselves thinner to be there for the people that he loves and cares about.”

Also read, Ethan Plath and Olivia Plath are divorcing after five years of marriage