Days after news broke of Ariana Grande’s split from estranged husband Dalton Gomez, news broke that she is dating Ethan Slater.
She and the Broadway star met while co-starring in “Wicked.” The duo play Glinda the Good Witch and Boq, respectively, in the movie, premiering November 2024.
TMZ reported in July 2023 that Grande and Slater’s romance began several months prior.
But who is the “Thank U, Next” singer’s new beau? Find out more about the Tony nominee’s career, as well as his wife and baby, below.
His Broadway career
ngeBob SquarePants"" >After acting off-Broadway in “Baghdaddy” and more shows, Slater made his Broadway debut as the titular character in the “SpongeBob SquarePants” play from 2017 to 2018.
In addition to receiving a Drama Desk Award for the role, Slater was nominated for a Tony.
He went back to acting off-Broadway with roles in “Camelot,” “Assassins” and “Goodnight, Oscar” before joining Grande and the rest of the “Wicked” cast in adapting the play.
His education
Slater, who grew up in Maryland with two sisters and two stepbrothers, attended Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School and Georgetown Day School.
He went on to attend Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
The actor, born in 1992, was a sophomore in college when he landed the eponymous role in “SpongeBob SquarePants.”
His love life
Slater married his former high school sweetheart Lilly Jay in 2018, six years after the couple began dating.
While the composer is reportedly separated from his wife amid his relationship with Grande, it is unclear when he and the blues singer called it quits.
Notably, Slater penned a touching Instagram tribute to Jay in November 2022, gushing, “My best friend. 4 years married, 10 years together. And this is easily the best (and most *bizarre*) year yet.”
His baby boy
Before breaking up, Slater and Jay welcomed a son.
The new dad revealed the news in a January 2023 Instagram post by sharing a photo of a “Wicked Cute” onesie. “Super vague post, but we have a baby now,” he captioned the upload.
Four months later, he confirmed the little one’s sex when he referred to the child as “little guy” while wishing “wonderful” Jay a happy Mother’s Day.
