Dalton Gomez Is ‘Having A Hard Time’ As Ariana Grande Moves on With Ethan Slater

After two years of marriage, they reportedly called it quits in July 2023. While it’s customary for people no longer in a relationship to move on, Dalton Gomez responded to Ariana Grande’s dating Ethan Slater and apparently, the adjustment has been difficult for him.

Grande first started dating the luxury real estate agent in January 2020. The “Thank U Next” singer confirmed their relationship in May in her music video for “Stuck with U” with Justin Bieber, wherein the video depicted Grande and Gomez slow-dancing. The confirmation came after speculation the two were dating from Grande’s Instagram posts, which showed she and Gomez quarantined together amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

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In December 2020, Grande confirmed that she and Gomez were engaged via an Instagram slideshow of photos of them together. Among the pictures was a shot of her engagement ring, which featured an oval-shaped diamond and a pearl given to her by her late grandfather. “forever n then some,” she captioned the post. Grande and Gomez were wed in an imitate ceremony in May 2021 with less than 20 guests. But shortly after news of their separation broke, so too did the rumor she’d moved on with someone else—although it’s worth mentioning that Grande and Gomez have apparently been split for months prior to it becoming public knowledge. Here’s how Dalton Gomez responded to the rumors Ariana Grande was dating Ethan Slater.

How Dalton Gomez responded to Ariana Grande dating Ethan Slater

Dalton Gomez is reportedly having a “hard time” amid his breakup with Ariana Grande and the news she’s moved on with Ethan Slater, her co-star in Wicked.

attends the “Spongebob Squarepants” Broadway opening night after party at The Ziegfeld Ballroom on December 4, 2017 in New York City.
attends the “Spongebob Squarepants” Broadway opening night after party at The Ziegfeld Ballroom on December 4, 2017 in New York City.

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A source told ET that “Dalton is having a hard time after his breakup with Ariana. It has been a difficult time for him because he wanted to make things work.” The source continued: “He still has a lot of love for her and still considers her his partner, but she has moved on. Dalton’s friends are encouraging him to do the same.” An insider told People something similar: “Dalton is very religious and was committed to making it work, but Ariana had moved on.”

As for Slater’s ex Lilly Jay, whom he separated from but has yet to divorce, was reportedly “devastated” at the news he had moved on. A source told Entertainment Tonight that she’s “devastated” by the breakup. “This is not the future she had in mind,” the source said, “She’s doing her best to get back on her feet. She’s incredibly smart and driven” and “she is truly the best mother.” Another source told Page Six that Jay was “completely blindsided” by the relationship. “It’s horrible. They were high school sweethearts. They have a baby! She’s a wreck,” the source said.

TMZ was first to report that Grande and Gomez were divorcing. According to sources, the coupe just couldn’t make it work post-COVID and the level of Grande’s fame wasn’t something Gomez was at all prepared for. “When Covid restrictions lifted, we’re told their differences became alarmingly apparent. Dalton, an L.A. realtor, was taken aback by Ariana’s celebrity. He had not dealt with her schedule, the paparazzi and the various opportunities that took her out of L.A.,” TMZ reported. “We’re told Dalton would sometimes question why they needed to go around town with security, something that was a must for Ariana. Their differences started to make the marriage unravel, and it was greatly exacerbated when she went to England last December to begin filming Wicked.”

The gossip site spoke to sources with insider knowledge of the couple, saying that they’ve been separated “since January” and while they tried to reconcile, they’re “heading for divorce.” According to TMZ, they’d been spending “miles apart” since December 2022 when she started filming Wicked but their sources say the problems started before that. Though, it appears they “remain friends” and “still talk on the phone regularly”. Apparently, Gomez has been dating since they separated and that’s been fine with Grande.

This lines up with what has been reported elsewhere. They apparently separated earlier this year and “have been quietly and lovingly working on their friendship” since, a source confirmed to People. Meanwhile, two sources told Us Weekly that their split had been coming for a while. “Ariana and Dalton have been having some issues for months now,” an insider said. “They were having issues before she left for Wicked filming [in London] that they couldn’t resolve, and the distance did not help. They haven’t been speaking and are separated, and a divorce is likely.” The second source said: “Things had been going really well for Ariana and Dalton since they got married. But unfortunately, they hit a rough patch a few months ago and haven’t been able to recover.”

A source also confirmed the news of Grande and Gomez’s breakup to ET. “They’ve been quietly and lovingly working on their friendship,” the insider said. Another source said, “Ariana and Dalton’s friends have always been concerned by their whirlwind romance and felt their relationship would ultimately be short-lived. Their relationship has been rocky at different points, and they’ve had trouble making time for each other with scheduling issues.”

Jonathan Bailey, Ariana Grande, Tom Hiddleston and Andrew Garfield watch Carlos Alcaraz vs Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon 2023 men’s final. Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage
Jonathan Bailey, Ariana Grande, Tom Hiddleston and Andrew Garfield watch Carlos Alcaraz vs Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon 2023 men’s final. Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage

Another source told ET, “Ariana and Dalton’s friends have always been concerned by their whirlwind romance and felt their relationship would ultimately be short-lived. Their relationship has been rocky at different points, and they’ve had trouble making time for each other with scheduling issues.”

The news came after Grande was spotted without her wedding ring at Wimbledon on July 16, 2023. Eagle-eyed fans spotted Ariana without her wedding ring while enjoying the men’s singles final at Wimbledon, seated between Bridgerton star Jonathan Bailey and Spider-Man actor Andrew Garfield. “I’m sorry I’m really not tryna start anything i jus wanna know if anyone else noticed the ring finger has no ring??” one person tweeted. “Anyone else noticed #ArianaGrande hasn’t been wearing her wedding ring?????????” another chimed in.

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