Ethan Slater thought he was stepping into a fairytale when he fell for megastar Ariana Grande on the set of Wicked nearly two years ago… but the happy ending looks further away than ever for the couple.
Back then, both left long-term partners: Ariana split from realtor husband Dalton Gomez, 30, after two years of marriage, and Ethan, 33, left his high-school sweetheart and now ex-wife Lilly Jay, 31.
Cue the social media meltdown. Fans roasted them as ‘homewreckers,’ memes went viral faster than Ariana’s ponytail whipping around her head.
Then Lilly herself went public with a viral essay calling Ariana ‘not a girl’s girl’, spilling on what it was like to lose her high school sweetheart to a Broadway star.
The Spotlight hears that Ethan (once best known for playing SpongeBob SquarePants in a musical) has since mended his relationship with Lilly as they co-parent their three-year-old son.
But insiders say he often looks like a man caught between the life he had and the globe-trotting whirlwind he signed up for with Ariana.
One source adds, ‘He sometimes wonders if he should have stayed in his quieter world; the contrast is brutal.’
Because Ariana is busy: touring arenas, rehearsing the sequel Wicked: For Good and juggling media appearances. All of which, my source says, have left Ethan struggling to keep pace – especially while being an involved dad to his son.
‘He loves her, but he’s drowning in the circus of her life,’ one insider explains. He’s used to a controlled Broadway stage, not sold-out arenas screaming for every move.’
The insider adds, ‘Even when he’s home, he’s mentally halfway through the tour or rehearsals. It’s exhausting just watching him try to keep up.’
Plus there’s the career gap. Ariana, 32, is in full orbit in 2025. Three VMAs in the bag, her Eternal Sunshine tour sold out in minutes and Wicked: For Good premiering this November. Ethan reprises his role as munchkin Boq Woodsman in Wicked: For Good.
Just days before Ariana’s big VMA night in September, Ethan was spotted quietly in Jersey City with Lilly and their little boy, co-parenting duties in full swing. Meanwhile, Ariana was surrounded by brother Frankie, stylist Law Roach, Lady Gaga and basically her own mini army. Ethan? Nowhere in sight.
Their last public appearance together was, incredibly, in late April at a preview of Little Shop of Horrors, supporting Ariana’s Victorious co-star Liz Gillies – and before that, the Oscars in March, where they were photographed hugging and chatting all night.
Sources tell The Spotlight that the intensity of Ariana’s schedule – combined with the shadow of her high-profile exes and past fleeting romances – has created tension.
Ethan’s own words hint at his dawning existential crisis. Calling Ariana’s fans ‘ferocious’ and admitting he’s only ‘sort of following along’ with her tour sounds less like support and more like a man realising the circus he signed up for might be… too much.
And I hate to say it, but Ari has history. From short-lived engagements to high-profile break-ups, those closest to her say the intensity and pace of her life has tested every relationship.
Past very intense romances, including with Pete Davidson, Big Sean, Ricky Alvarez and Dalton Gomez, have all burned bright and fizzled quickly. Ariana falls hard – and falls-out fast. Now it seems like Ethan could be the latest to face that reality.
So why the radio silence? I hear the couple won’t confirm, or deny, any split until after Wicked: For Good premieres, in an attempt to keep the attention off their relationship. But behind the curtain, I’m told, the fairytale has ended.
Ariana is flying, and Ethan is somewhere in the wings, missing the calm he left behind.
