Ariana Grande Dating Co-Star Amid Divorce

Ariana Grande is dating one of her Wicked co-stars, Ethan Slater, just days after news broke that she and her husband Dalton Gomez are divorcing. The 30-year-old “7 rings” singer plays Glinda in the film adaption of the Broadway musical, and Slater plays Boq. The two apparently met while filming the upcoming Universal Pictures movie, according to TMZ.

Grande and Dalton have yet to file divorce documents, but an insider told PEOPLE they separated in January. Slater, meanwhile, has reportedly separated from his wife, singer Lilly Jay, with whom he tied the knot in 2018 and welcomed a son last year. “Ariana and Dalton separated in January,” one source said. “She and Ethan recently began dating, and he is separated from his wife.” Wicked began shooting in the U.K. last year and was originally scheduled for a November 2024 release, although the SAG-AFTRA strike may affect its premiere.

Grande and Dalton reportedly remain on good terms, but an insider said the “Thank U, Next” singer’s work on Wicked in England was part of the reason for the end of their marriage, as Dalton remained in Los Angeles, where he acts as a luxury real estate agent. “She was happy in Los Angeles for a couple of years. She wanted to make a life there with Dalton,” the source told PEOPLE. “He is super focused on his career and needs to live in Los Angeles. It’s definitely been an issue for them. Dalton’s career is demanding and he can’t leave Los Angeles often. So when [Grande] started filming Wicked in England, they were in for a long-distance marriage.” While the relationship didn’t work, “Ari has nothing but kind words to say about Dalton. During their marriage, he was her No. 1 fan.”

Slater, meanwhile, had his big break as SpongeBob Squarepants in the Boadway musical, earning a Tony Award nomination in 2018 for the role. That same year, he married high school classmate Lilly Jay after six years of dating, and in January, he revealed that they had welcomed their first child, posting on Instagram a photo of a onesie reading “Wicked Cute.” He wrote at the time, “Super vague post, but we have a baby now,” confirming later that Jay had given birth to a son.