Who is Ethan Slater? Ariana Grande is rumored to be dating her 'Wicked' co-star after split with Dalton Gomez
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Ariana Grande and her husband, Dalton Gomez are reportedly “heading for divorce” and it seems the 'Save Your Tears' singer has already found a new love in her life. Although neither Ariana nor Gomez has addressed the scuttlebutt publicly, a source apparently informed Entertainment Tonight that both "tried to make things work, but ultimately they were just not a good fit. Dalton has been very private and low-key about their relationship with his work colleagues and hasn’t been talking a lot about their split.”
Now as per the reports of TMZ, Ariana has seemingly moved on from her marriage and is presently dating Broadway alum Ethan Slater who also happens to be her co-star in the upcoming film adaptation of 'Wicked.'
Who is Ethan Slater?
Ethan Samuel Slater is an American actor, singer, and composer who is best known for his role as SpongeBob SquarePants in the musical of the same name. He even received a Tony Award nomination and won a Drama Desk Award. In November 2018, Slater married high school classmate Lilly Jay and revealed in January this year that they had welcomed their first child by sharing a photo of a onesie that read “Wicked Cute.”
“Super vague post, but we have a baby now,” he wrote, later confirming on Mother’s Day that they’d welcomed a son. It is not known when the couple who had been together since 2012, separated.
Ariana holds no grudge against Gomez
“Ariana and Dalton separated in January," one source told the People Magazine. "She and Ethan recently began dating, and he is separated from his wife." The 30-year-old singer is set to play Glinda in Universal’s film adaptation of the beloved Broadway musical alongside Slater, 31, who will play Boq, the love interest of Elphaba’s sister Nessarose. The movie began its filming in the United Kingdom last year and is scheduled to be released in November 2024, even though it remains unknown if SAG-AFTRA's strike will affect its premiere.
An insider also told the outlet that Grande sharing the screen with Slater in the movie was also partially to blame and it strained the couple's long-distance. "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." Even though their relationship didn't work out well, the insider said "Ari has nothing but kind words to say about Dalton. During their marriage, he was her No 1 fan."