Wicked star Ethan Slater's ex-wife Lilly Jay breaks silence on his romance with Ariana Grande

Ethan Slater's former spouse, Lilly Jay, has expressed her struggle to find a way out of the 'darkness' she feels as she witnesses him starting a new chapter with his Wicked co-star, Ariana Grande. Meanwhile, Lilly is focused on raising their young son, describing this period as some of the 'saddest days of my life.'

Slater, 32, and Grande, 31, crossed paths on the set of the British film version of the popular musical in 2022, while both were still married. Ariana portrays Glinda, the good witch, while Ethan takes on the role of Boq, the munchkin.

Lilly, 32, has expressed her sorrow about seeing her ex-husband tour the globe promoting Wicked with the woman he left her for. She described it as a deeply painful reminder of the 'public collapse of my marriage'.

She shared that she had relocated to the UK with their infant to be there for Ethan while he worked on filming Wicked. They were high school sweethearts, but he eventually chose to be with Ariana instead.

"I took a bold step to relocate to a different country with my two-month-old infant and my husband to help advance his professional journey," Lilly shared. "Caught up in the enchantment and everyday realities of being a new mother, I was unaware of the increasing gap developing between us."

In a recent piece for The Cut, the clinical psychologist, who has a two-year-old son with Slater, discussed her experiences as a single mother and the conclusion of their six-year marriage.

She acknowledged that there are times when she feels overwhelmed by the publicity surrounding a film linked to some of the most difficult moments in her life. Lily further mentioned that while she spends endless hours soothing their son to sleep, she is also working on coming to terms with the unexpected collapse of her marriage.

"People don't enter marriage with the idea that it will end in divorce, just as we don't get on a plane anticipating it will crash," she remarked.

In a subtle dig at her former partner and his new girlfriend, she expressed, "I honestly never imagined I would go through a divorce. It was the last thing I expected, especially right after welcoming my first child and particularly amid my husband's new romance with a famous person."

Ethan Slater's former wife, Lilly Jay, wrote an essay sharing her emotional journey through their difficult divorce and her experience of seeing her high school love start a new relationship with Ariana Grande. The photo was taken in 2018.

Slater, who is 32, started seeing Grande, who is 31, after he split from Jay (the two were photographed together last month while promoting the film).

Slater, 32, and Grande, 31, first crossed paths in 2022 while working on the British production of the film version of the popular musical. At the time, they were both in other marriages. Ariana portrays Glinda, the good witch, while Ethan takes on the role of Boq, a munchkin.

Lately, Ethan and Ariana have been making headlines worldwide as they have been spotted sharing affectionate moments on the red carpet to promote *Wicked*, which many consider to be the most anticipated film of 2024.

At the same time, Lily, who was married to Ethan from 2018 to 2024, is raising their young child.

She expressed, "Time spent with my son is bright and cheerful."

Through my experience, I’ve come to realize that being a mother occupies your schedule, yet it doesn’t necessarily engage your thoughts. While I spend endless hours soothing my son to sleep, pushing his stroller, or admiring his tiny, sweaty hands as he holds a crayon, I find myself quietly grappling with the difficult challenge of coming to terms with the unexpected collapse of my marriage.

I remind myself that there's no reason to feel embarrassed or to keep this a secret.

Ms. Jay also noted that no one enters into marriage with the anticipation of it ending in divorce, much like how we don't step onto an airplane expecting it to crash.

"Honestly, I never imagined that I would go through a divorce. It was especially surprising to me right after having my first baby, and even more so because it was happening at the same time as my husband's new romance with a famous person," Jay shared, referencing his partner's involvement with Grande.

She continued by saying, "During this time of shock and sorrow, more than a year after my divorce became known, I genuinely long for the quiet life I had built as a psychologist focusing on women's mental health."

Even though they have separated, she continued to commend Slater for being an excellent co-parent. She mentioned that while their relationship has evolved, their role as parents remains unchanged.

She stressed that our love for our son remains unwavering and total, no matter how we split our time as parents.

Jay shared that although individuals from her past have contacted her to say they noticed her face in a tabloid, her patients have not mentioned anything about it.

"At the Children's Hospital, I found that being invisible shielded me from difficult discussions, both for myself and my young patients," she explained.

I continue to strongly believe in letting my patients guide our conversations, rather than assuming what aspects of my identity connect with them. However, the publicity I've encountered without my approval is starting to feel like both a challenge and a chance for growth.

"If I'm found out — as in, being open and exposed? — maybe it could be a way to connect with others instead of being seen as a weakness," she added.

During her toughest moments, she expressed that she was terrified the lack of control and postpartum depression might ruin her for the rest of her life.

Jay also mentioned that her professional life appears to have been influenced by the public split between her and Slater.

Jay and Slater officially completed their divorce in September, having separated the previous year. Slater is seen here with Lilly.

In her essay, Jay expressed that she hadn't been ready for divorce immediately after welcoming her first child, especially since her husband began a relationship with a well-known figure in the public eye.

"It's difficult to quantify what isn't there, and I can't definitively say how much my career has been influenced by the online world," she noted. "However, I've seen signs over time, such as a job opportunity that disappeared without any reason following yet another round of tabloid coverage, or a patient who was supposed to come in for their first visit but then just disappeared."

There are times when she can't help but feel frustrated and upset about the injustice of going through a public divorce.

"Gradually, I've come to realize that even though the future I envisioned with my high school love didn't happen, there is still a wonderful life ahead for me and my child," she shared with her audience.

Jay went on to say that if she couldn't remain hidden any longer, she felt it was the right moment to truly present herself to the world.

"You know how a sponge works best at soaking up liquid when it’s already somewhat damp? Perhaps we can view my chaotic and somewhat impersonal existence similarly: a touch of my own grief, anger, helplessness, and sorrow allows me to better support you through yours," she finished.

Earlier in her essay, she mentioned that while she was pregnant, she experienced a level of joy she had never felt before, alongside a strong realization of just how fragile that happiness could be.

"I made it through preeclampsia, a serious complication during pregnancy, and at last, our family was complete. My experience is one of misdirected concerns," she reflected.

Even though she recognizes the challenges that the postpartum phase can pose for a marriage, Jay mentioned that she felt assured in relocating to a different country with her two-month-old baby and her husband to help advance his career.

Jay and Slater officially ended their marriage in September following their separation the previous year.

Slater submitted his divorce papers on July 26, 2023, five years after marrying Jay, who had been his partner since they were teenagers.

Grande and Slater first crossed paths in December 2022 while working on the UK set for the film version of the Broadway musical Wicked.

Ariana revealed her split from Dalton just three days before she announced her new romance with Ethan, who subsequently initiated divorce proceedings from Lilly (who was pictured with Slater in June).

During that period, Grande was still in a marriage with Dalton Gomez. She submitted her divorce papers in September 2023, stating that they had separated on February 20, 2023.

Ariana's divorce was finalized in October 2023, and she made a one-time payment of $1,250,000 to Gomez instead of ongoing spousal support.

She also covered $25,000 of the attorney fees for the real estate broker.

Both individuals revealed that they had ended their marriages just days apart.

Ariana revealed her breakup with Dalton only three days before she went public with her new romance with Ethan, who subsequently initiated divorce proceedings with Lilly.

He mentioned incompatible differences and requested shared custody of their two-year-old child.

Later on, Lilly criticized Ariana in a number of unflattering interviews. In one chat with Page Six, she claimed that the singer isn't supportive of other women and mentioned that her family has been negatively affected by Ariana's actions.

In October, Slater responded to the criticism surrounding his relationship with Grande, which was fueled by rumors of infidelity.

In October, Slater spoke out about the criticism surrounding his relationship with Grande, which had been marred by rumors of cheating.

He mentioned to GQ that it was challenging to have aspects of his personal life scrutinized and discussed by the public.

He went on to say, "There were significant changes taking place in people's personal lives, making it frustrating to see those who are unaware of the situation offering their opinions."

In the past month, Grande strongly stated that the way tabloids portray Slater is completely inaccurate and fails to represent him as a person.

"He goes above and beyond for the people he loves, always making an effort and stretching himself to be supportive," she shared with Vanity Fair.