Ethan Slater’s breakup with Ariana Grande will not lead him back to his ex-wife, Lilly Jay, despite recent speculation surrounding their relationship. A source close to Jay has shut down rumors that the former spouses could be heading toward a romantic reconciliation following Slater’s split from his “Wicked” co-star. While Ethan Slater and Lilly Jay remain connected through their child, the insider emphasized that their current relationship is focused entirely on raising their family.
A source close to Jay told TMZ that she and Slater are “absolutely not” getting back together. The insider also denied that Slater is attempting to revive his marriage to the clinical psychologist following the end of his nearly three-year relationship with Grande. Instead, the former couple’s relationship is reportedly “strictly about coparenting.”
Slater and Jay were together for 11 years and married for nearly five before their relationship ended. Their divorce attracted considerable public attention after news of his romance with Grande emerged. The Broadway actor and pop star met while working together on the movie adaptation of “Wicked” in 2022.
Their relationship became public in July 2023, shortly after both stars separated from their respective spouses. Grande had previously been married to real estate agent Dalton Gomez.
Ariana Grande Reportedly Reconciles With Ricky Alvarez
The denial surrounding Slater and Jay comes shortly after reports that Grande has rekindled her romance with former boyfriend Ricky Alvarez.
Grande and Alvarez initially began dating after meeting in 2015, when he was working as a backup dancer during her Honeymoon Tour. Their original relationship lasted approximately one year.
The singer reportedly revealed that they had reconnected by changing lyrics and giving Alvarez affectionate shoutouts during performances of “Thank U, Next” on her current concert tour.
Ariana Grande Has Pushed Back Against Public Scrutiny
Grande’s relationships have remained the subject of intense interest throughout her career, something she directly confronted through her 2024 single “Yes, And?” In the song, the former Nickelodeon star pushed back against strangers commenting on her body and questioning her private relationships.
Grande has repeatedly made it clear that she does not believe the public is entitled to speculate about her appearance, health, or romantic choices simply because she has spent much of her life in the spotlight. That scrutiny intensified following the July 31 release of “Petal” and its accompanying music video.
Although the project generated attention for Grande’s music, some of the online conversation shifted toward her appearance and prompted unsupported speculation about her health. No diagnosis or medical information supporting those theories has been publicly disclosed.
Some social media users made extreme comparisons between Grande and deceased musicians Amy Winehouse and Karen Carpenter.
Meghan McCain joined the discussion on X by comparing the public reaction surrounding Grande to the scrutiny Winehouse received before her death in 2011. Another user shared an image of Carpenter alongside Grande and wrote, “This is singer Karen Carpenter, a month before she DIED of anorexia at only 32 years old.”
Carpenter died in 1983 at age 32 following complications associated with anorexia nervosa. However, comparing Grande’s appearance to Carpenter’s does not establish anything about Grande’s health.
Ariana Grande Plans To Step Away From The Spotlight
As the comments continue, one of Grande’s representatives told PEOPLE that the singer intends to reduce her public presence after completing her “Eternal Sunshine Tour.” Grande’s team framed the decision as a response to years of relentless attention surrounding her appearance and personal life. The “Wicked” star will be “taking a step back from visibility after she completes the Eternal Sunshine Tour,” her representative said.
“She looks forward to finishing the tour and ending it on a high note, both healthily and happily, and then taking a much-deserved break from public-facing work and appearances, which has led to endless, ongoing public scrutiny,” the rep added. “This tour has been a beautiful experience for her. She loves her fans and has loved every minute of this tour so much.”
The statement did not disclose any health diagnosis or indicate that Grande’s planned break was caused by a medical issue.
