Alleged On Set Wicked Affair Between Ariana Grande And Ethan Slater Described As ‘Sloppy’ By Insider

Ariana Grande poses on Big Red Chair on The Voice.
(Image credit: NBC)

The alleged relationship between Wicked cast members Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater is getting more complex. According to a new report, the Boq actor allegedly told his wife, Lilly Jay, about his rumored relationship with the Glinda actress right before the news became public. Along with this, it was also posited that the supposed new couple has been “sloppy" with their relationship, and they weren't trying to hide it. 

Following news breaking that the Wicked star and her ex-husband Dalton Gomez were getting a divorce, rumors quickly followed that she had started dating Ethan Slater. An element of this story that makes things extra complex, is the Broadway star is married to Lilly Jay. Now, it’s been reported that he broke the news about Grande to his wife not long before it became public knowledge. Along with this, apparently, the co-stars have been “sloppy” too, and they haven’t been “hiding” their relationship. A source spoke to Us Weekly about the situation, saying:

Ariana and Ethan weren’t careful. They’d hold hands on set in between takes. They were sloppy and not hiding it.

Along with this claim, an insider also told the magazine that Slater allegedly broke the news to Jay about Grande recently, saying:

Ethan sat Lilly down a few days before the news broke about him and Ariana and said that he wanted a divorce. Lilly never saw it coming!

However, another insider contradicted that claim, saying both Ethan Slater and Ariana Grande were “separated” from their respective partners when their relationship started. 

All this news about the two Wicked stars and their alleged affair comes not long after the “7 Rings” singer was seen without her wedding ring at Wimbledon, and reports came out that she and Gomez were getting a divorce. Apparently, their relationship had been rocky for months because the musical movie had “completely taken over her life.” 

As for Ethan Slater, he’s been with his wife Lilly Jay for ten years, and they got married in 2018. They also share a young son who was born in 2022. Another source alleged that both Wicked stars and their partners have separated, and their relationship supposedly began after the singer and her ex-husband broke up in January.

With this newest report, it appears that the SpongeBob Squarepants: The Broadway Musical star and the “Thank U, Next” singer weren’t hiding their relationship on the set of Wicked. Also, if the reports about them being “sloppy” about it are true, it makes sense why these rumors have spread so quickly. 

At the moment, Wicked has paused production due to the actors' strike, however, they are close to wrapping up the film. As more news develops about both this reported new couple and their highly anticipated movie on the 2024 film schedule, we’ll be sure to keep you posted. 

Riley Utley
Weekend Editor

Riley Utley is the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. She has written for national publications as well as daily and alt-weekly newspapers in Spokane, Washington, Syracuse, New York and Charleston, South Carolina. She graduated with her master’s degree in arts journalism and communications from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University. Since joining the CB team she has covered numerous TV shows and movies -- including her personal favorite shows Ted Lasso and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. She also has followed and consistently written about everything from Taylor Swift to Fire Country, and she's enjoyed every second of it.