When news of Ariana Grande and Broadway star Ethan Slater’s relationship first broke last week, it wasn’t immediately clear when (and if) Slater had officially separated from his wife of four years, Lilly Jay. Now, Page Six is reporting that Jay has broken her silence on the Wicked stars’ new relationship.
“[Ariana’s] the story really. Not a girl’s girl,” Jay reportedly told Page Six. “My family is just collateral damage.”
She added, “The story is her and Dalton,” referring to Grande’s ex Dalton Gomez. News of Grande and Gomez’s split after two years of marriage broke just days before it was confirmed that Grande is now dating Slater.
Jay added that she is focused on being a “good mom” to her and Slater’s one-year-old son. Slater officially filed for divorce earlier this week. People reports that Jay is devastated by the split, with a source telling the outlet, “They were together for so long; they met when they were in high school. They were inseparable. It’s devastating for Lilly.”
Page Six, also citing an unnamed source, reported that Grande and Slater’s relationship has been above board the whole time. “[Jay] is rightfully upset because her marriage fell apart, but Ariana and Ethan didn’t do anything wrong,” the source said, adding that Slater and Jay had been separated for two months before he and Grande got involved.
People, citing a separate unnamed source, corroborates this timeline of events, noting that despite their on-set friendship, Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater did not pursue each other romantically until after they were separated from their respective spouses.