Ethan Slater Says Criticism of His Relationship With Ariana Grande Has Been 'Really Difficult'
Slater filed for divorce in July 2023, one month after he was rumored to be dating the 'Wicked' star.
Ethan Slater breaks his silence in a profile on GQ about his relationship with Ariana Grande garnering so much attention and criticism.
GQ staff writer Eileen Cartter carefully broaches the topic by bringing up how Slater "fell in love" while filming the musical Wicked without mentioning Grande by name. The two blush and share a laugh over the direction of their conversation, but the 32-year-old actor and singer does acknowledge the truth in Cartter's statement.
"That's a really sweet question," Slater responded. "That's really nice of you to ask. That's a really sweet question."
After taking a moment to compose himself, Slater opened up about what has been a "really super big year" filled with some "really difficult" moments and "big changes" in his private life.
"Obviously, it was a really super big year,” he said. "And I think there was something that was really difficult about things in your private life being commented on and looked at by the public."
Slater continued, "There were a lot of big changes in private lives that were really happening, so it’s really hard to see people who don’t know anything about what’s happening commenting on it and speculating, and then getting things wrong about the people you love. So just to address that part of it, that feels really hard."
After news of her divorce surfaced in July 2023, Grande was rumored to be dating Slater that same month. Slater filed for divorce from Lilly Jay after five years of marriage the following month.
A source told TMZ at the time that Jay felt like Slater abandoned his family.
Slater and Jay finalized their divorce last month, reaching an undisclosed settlement.
"But, of course, it was an amazing year and a really beautiful thing, and I’m just really excited," Slater tells Cartter. "I'm just really, really proud of Ari and the work she’s done on this. She’s poured herself into it. I’m really proud that I got to be there for that part of it, and I’m really excited to be there for this next step of it when the world gets to see the amazing thing that she did."
