A Look At Ethan Slater’s Dating History Before Ariana Grande

When you’re dating one of the biggest pop stars in the world, people are going to have a lot of questions, and apparently, a lot of assumptions. Ever since news broke that Ariana Grande was allegedly linked to her Wicked co-star Ethan Slater, the Broadway musical SpongeBob alum was dragged through the digital streets over the alleged relationship. Ari and her man have kept it classy and refrained from clapping back at the intense obsession with their private lives, but now that the dust has somewhat settled, both stars are opening up a little bit more about the situation. Ariana has had many relationships in the spotlight (the nature of being thee official pop princess with vocals your fave cannot even imagine, sorry!) but Ethan is a bit of a newcomer to the main stage when it comes to celebrity romance. Who did the munchkin (what you didn’t know that he plays Bok in Wicked?) date before Ariana Grande? Let’s take a look at Ethan Slater’s relationship history.

Who is Ethan Slater’s ex-wife?

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Ethan Slater was married to Lilly Jay. They met in high school but later started dating in 2012 while Ethan was studying at Vassar College. The couple officially got married in 2018. Lilly Jay works in the psychology field.

When did Ethan Slater and Lilly Jay break up?

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Sources who have spoken to outlets like E! News and friends close to Ariana, such as her Wicked co-star Bowen Yang, have confirmed Ariana and Ethan’s relationship began after the end of his relationship with Lilly Jay. Their dating also started after Ariana’s marriage to her former husband Dalton Gomez was already confirmed to have ended months prior by People Magazine on July 17. This alleged timeline would mean that Slater and Jay would have called it quits prior to July 2023. Ethan filed for divorce on July 26, 2023. After word got out things had become romantic between Ethan and Ariana, Lilly Jay took to the press to express strong feelings about her family becoming “collateral damage” which was followed by a barrage of unfounded rumors about the new relationship’s role in her marriage.

How many kids does Ethan Slater have?

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Ethan Slater has a two-year-old son with Lilly Jay, who was born in August 2022. In an October 2024 interview with GQ Magazine, Slater called his child “the light of his life” as he figures out “how to navigate as a new parent” while co-parenting with his ex.