Lilly Jay, Ethan Slater’s ex-wife, has opened up about her emotional struggle of watching him move on with his Wicked co-star, Ariana Grande. She described feeling trapped in a “darkness” while raising their young son, calling it “the saddest days of my life.”
Ethan, 32, and Ariana, 31, met in 2022 while working on the film adaptation of Wicked in the UK. Both were married at the time. Ariana plays Glinda, while Ethan portrays Boq. Lilly, also 32, shared her deep grief over seeing her ex-husband promote the movie with Ariana, which reminded her of the painful end of their marriage.
Lilly explained how she had moved to the UK with their baby to support Ethan’s career. “I confidently moved to another country with my 2-month-old baby and my husband to support his career,” she wrote. However, she didn’t realize the growing distance between them. This realization came after Ethan left her for Ariana.
In an essay for The Cut, Lilly reflected on her experience of single motherhood and the end of her six-year marriage. She admitted there are days when the promotion of the movie brings back painful memories. She also described how, as she rocks their son to sleep, she tries to accept the public downfall of her marriage.
Lilly also mentioned that she never expected to get divorced, especially right after giving birth to their first child. “I really never thought I would get divorced. Especially not just after giving birth and especially not in the shadow of my husband’s new relationship with a celebrity.”
Despite the divorce, Lilly praised Ethan for being a good co-parent, noting that their parenthood remains unchanged. She emphasized that both love their son completely, no matter how their parenting time is divided.
Lilly also admitted that her career has been affected by the public attention surrounding her divorce, mentioning job offers that disappeared after tabloid coverage. She remains hopeful that despite the loss, a better future awaits her and her child.
