Ethan Slater and Ariana Grande, and photo of Lilly Jay
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‘Special place in hell’: Lilly Jay drama resurfaces after Ariana and Ethan Slater split

The response is intense

Daisy Phillipson
9th June 2026, 12:27
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Following reports that Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater have quietly split up, social media users have been revisiting the controversy surrounding the start of their relationship – and, in particular, the impact it had on Ethan’s ex-wife Lilly Jay.

Although it was already suspected that the Wicked co-stars had parted ways, they are yet to confirm it. But sources close to the pair told TMZ this week that they decided to end their romance and remain friends. 

The insiders also claimed that Ariana’s new studio album ‘petal’ is not at all inspired by their relationship or breakup. The news has sparked plenty of conversation, especially around how they first got together. 

Ethan and Ariana met in 2022 when they began working on the first Wicked film adaptation. At that time, the Glinda star was married to real estate agent Dalton Gomez, while the Boq actor was married to therapist Lilly Jay.

In July 2023, Ethan separated from his spouse, and news emerged that Ariana had also split from Dalton. 

That same month, sources claimed they were in a relationship with each other. This sparked a loud backlash, especially against Ethan, and this has been reignited amid news of their split. 

Lilly Jay broke her silence in powerful 2024 essay

Lilly Jay and Ethan Slater
Credit: Instagram/Ethan Slater

While filming Wicked in London, Ethan filed for a divorce from Lilly, his high school sweetheart. What’s more, their firstborn child was less than a year old at that time.

Although they didn’t go public for the first several months, Ariana and Ethan were photographed at various places together. Eventually, the singer shared a carousel of photos including Ethan, and addressed criticism about their relationship in an Instagram story. 

“I have never felt more pride or joy or love while simultaneously feeling so deeply misunderstood by people who don’t know me, who piece whispers together and make what they want out of me and their assumptions of my life,” she wrote. 

Then in January 2024, she released ‘Yes, And?’, featuring lyrics that appeared to address the controversy. 

Although Lilly kept quiet about the situation for months, she wrote a powerful essay for The Cut in December 2024 titled ‘How Does My Divorce Make You Feel?’.

Here, she reflected on the breakdown of her marriage to Ethan and the challenges of navigating a highly public divorce shortly after the birth of their son.

Rather than directly attacking Ethan and Ariana, she focused on her own experience as a therapist and new mother whose private life suddenly became tabloid fodder.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Ariana Grande (@arianagrande) 

Lilly described feeling as though her “world [had been] upended”, writing about the loss of the quiet life she had carefully built for herself and the difficulty of seeing a movie linked to “the saddest days” of her life promoted around the world.

She also opened up about the professional consequences of being thrust into the spotlight, explaining that she worried how the publicity surrounding her divorce could affect her work as a psychologist. 

Despite this, the essay ultimately struck a hopeful note, with Lilly writing that she had come to believe that “a lifetime of sweetness” still awaited both her and her son.

The op-ed went viral, with many praising Lilly for her nuanced approach and for keeping it respectful in the face of such a terrible event. 

Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater breakup has reignited the debate

In light of the split, fans are now once again calling out Ethan and Ariana, with many asking one question: Was it worth it?

One X user shared a screenshot of the essay alongside an image of Lilly walking her son in a pram. “There is a special place in hell for Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater for what they did to Lilly Jay,” they wrote.

They reshared a separate tweet they posted in 2024, which reads, “May 15: Ariana Grande celebrating her marriage anniversary. June 1: Lilly Jay wishing her husband Ethan Slater a happy birthday. 

“July 20: TMZ report Ariana and Ethan in a relationship. But we are supposed to believe there is no cheating.”

Another agreed, “He uprooted her and their son, took away all her support, and then gaslit her into thinking their marriage ending was somehow also her fault. I hope he’s miserable for the rest of his life.”

But plenty of netizens have chimed in to suggest that fans shouldn’t blame Ariana for the situation. “The person in the relationship is the offender, not the third party,” said one. 

“He was the one that made the vows, he was the one with an obligation to keep his marriage together. At the end of the day she’s probably better off to no longer married to someone who would do that to her.”

Another commented, “Sorry, but it’s always the partner who is in the wrong. Ariana didn’t make any vows to his wife.”

Elsewhere, some aren’t so forgiving. “All that homewrecking and ‘I stole your man’ music for absolutely nothing,” wrote one. 

Another said, “Lilly Jay moved abroad to support Ethan Slater’s career with a two month old baby, after nearly dying during childbirth, only for Ethan to cheat on her with Ariana Grande and subject her to harassment by her fans. Absolutely sick.”

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Featured image credit: John Salangsang/Shutterstock for Audi/Pat Benic/UPI/Shutterstock