Ariana Grande Reportedly ‘Recently’ Started Dating Ethan Slater, Her <i>Wicked</i> Costar
Ariana Grande has already started her search for love again following news of her months-long separation from her husband Dalton Gomez. People, Entertainment Tonight, and TMZ report that Grande is dating her Wicked co-star Ethan Slater, who is also separated from his own wife, Lilly Jay. Sources told TMZ that Slater and Grande did not start dating until after he was separated from Jay. Jay and Slater have a son together, whom they welcomed last year, per TMZ.
A source elaborated on the timeline to People: “Ariana and Dalton separated in January. She and Ethan recently began dating, and he is separated from his wife.” Slater plays Boq in Wicked, while Grande is playing Glinda.
Another source spoke to Entertainment Tonight about how their connection was sparked: “Ariana and Ethan recently started dating. They have a lot in common and have a lot of fun. They didn’t start dating until both were broken up with their significant others. Ariana and Dalton remain friends.”
Slater is a Broadway alum, having played Spongebob on stage. Grande and Slater both follow each other on Instagram.
Slater paid tribute to his ex Jay in May, posting a Mother’s Day tribute that Grande liked. “Happy first Mother’s Day to the most loving caring and wonderful mom/person in the world,” he wrote. “- from me and this little guy.”
He shared a tribute to Jay in November, which Grande liked too. “My best friend. 4 years married, 10 years together. And this is easily the best (and most *bizarre*) year yet.”
Grande hasn’t yet commented on her split from Gomez, but the couple separated quietly in January. They tried reconciling briefly in May, but the attempt was failed. A source told People that the distance was a factor in their split, as Gomez, a real estate agent, cannot leave Los Angeles often, and Grande was filming in the U.K.
“She was happy in Los Angeles for a couple of years. She wanted to make a life there with Dalton,” the source said. “He is super focused on his career and needs to live in Los Angeles. It’s definitely been an issue for them. Dalton’s career is demanding and he can’t leave Los Angeles often. So when [Grande] started filming Wicked in England, they were in for a long-distance marriage.”
Gomez has also been dating other people casually with Grande’s approval. Us Weekly reported yesterday that he still had hopes for reconciling with her while Grande is focused on moving on.
Gomez “has been dating casually as an attempt to distract himself from the split,” the source said, noting he is not looking for anything serious. “Truth be told, he’s not over Ariana and would still love to win her back.” Grande, on the other hand, “just wants to move forward and has no hard feelings about their breakup.”
Senior News and Strategy Editor
Alyssa Bailey is the senior news and strategy editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage of celebrities and royals (particularly Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton). She previously held positions at InStyle and Cosmopolitan. When she’s not working, she loves running around Central Park, making people take #ootd pics of her, and exploring New York City.
