Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater: A Complete Timeline of Their ...

Just because we learned that Ariana Grande is reportedly dating her Wicked costar Ethan Slater just three days after news broke that Grande was splitting from husband Dalton Gomez, doesn’t mean the timeline is just as rushed…. Who are we kidding? This is wild.

According to sources, it appears Grande was still working on her relationship with Gomez when she flew to the UK to film the musical movie Wicked in December 2022, though a source told Us Weekly that the couple were “having issues” and “the distance did not help.” Meanwhile, Grande’s alleged new boyfriend—who is known for playing Spongebob Squarepants on Broadway and will be playing the Munchkin Boq in Wicked—was also in a committed relationship when filming began. In fact, Slater has been married to high school sweetheart Lilly Jay since 2018 and welcomed his first child with her sometime in 2022. 

So, what’s their actual relationship timeline? Here’s everything we know about Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater’s romance.

May 15, 2021: Gomez and Dalton get married.

November 2022: Per Page Six, Slater gushes over Jay in an Instagram post, writing, “My best friend. 4 years married, 10 years together. And this is easily the best (and most *bizarre*) year yet.” According to screenshots shared on TikTok, Grande likes the post at some point.

December 2022: Wicked begins filming. Grande plays the famed good witch Glinda opposite Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba.

January 2023: Grande and Gomez split, according to TMZ’s July report.

May 14, 2023: Slater posts a Mother’s Day tribute to his wife on Instagram, featuring photos of their son. According to fan screenshots, Grande likes this post as well.

Ethan Slater and wife Lily Jay attend the 2018 Tony Awards Gala at the Plaza Hotel on June 10, 2018.