When Ariana Grande’s Wicked boyfriend breaks his silence on their relationship controversy, is that going to quell the backlash?
2023 was a busy relationship year for Ariana Grande. That year, she and Dalton Gomez — who is now her ex-husband — split.
Perhaps by some remarkable coincidence, that is also the year when Ethan Slater split with his wife, Lilly Jay, with whom he shares a young son.
Soon came the news that Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater were dating. Now, Ariana’s Wicked costar (and boyfriend) is breaking his silence on the backlash that their relationship has received.
Ariana Grande’s ‘Wicked’ boyfriend Ethan Slater breaks his silence
There was a time when he was best known, if one can call it that, for playing Spongebob Squarepants on Broadway. Then, he landed the role of Boq in the 2024 Wicked film.
None of those are his biggest claim to fame. Becoming Ariana Grande’s boyfriend, and the dubious circumstances surrounding their relationship, turned Ariana’s Wicked boyfriend into something close to a household name.
Nearly a year and a half after he went from (relative) obscurity to controversial headlines, how’s he handling it all?
As a teenager, Ethan Slater met Lilly Jay. The two dated in college, married (for five years), and then welcomed their son in August of 2022.
In July of 2023, Ethan Slater filed to divorce Lilly. This filing came days after news broke that Ethan Slater was dating Ariana Grande. The two were Wicked castmates, and the timing of everything raised eyebrows and suspicions.
On Wednesday, October 30, GQ published an interview with Ethan Slater. Obviously, it was a really super big year,” he understated about 2023. “And I think there was something that was really difficult about things in your private life being commented on and looked at by the public.”
Becoming famous as Ariana Grande’s ‘Wicked’ boyfriend was a shock
“There were a lot of big changes in private lives that were really happening,” Ethan Slater acknowledged vaguely.
“So it’s really hard to see people who don’t know anything about what’s happening commenting on it and speculating,” Ariana Grande’s Wicked boyfriend complained.
“And then,” Slater accused, “getting things wrong about the people you love. So just to address that part of it, that feels really hard.”
Meanwhile, Ariana Grande has more experience rebuking critics and even her own fans over her relationships.
“She’s such an amazing performer,” Ethan Slater gushed during the interview with GQ.
“And I think everyone knows how good she is [as] a recording artist and all that,” he emphasized. That’s true. “But I’m just really blown away by the songwriting.”
Will this change how people feel about Ethan Slater?
Well, no. Across social media, people are panning Ethan Slater’s GQ interview. He’s not getting their sympathy — because, at the core of it, people are thinking of his ex-wife and their 2-year-old.
Some are absolutely putting Ariana Grande on blast. That might be fair, as she apparently did hang out with Lilly prior to Ethan’s breakup with her.
But if there was any cheating before the Wicked co-stars went public, the actual cheater is the wrongdoer. No one can “steal” someone else’s husband. Or, if they do, it’s called “kidnapping” and is generally considered to be a crime.