Meet Ethan Slater, Ariana Grande's rumored new boyfriend who's known for playing Spongebob on Broadway
Ariana Grande is currently dating her "Wicked" costar Ethan Slater, according to several outlets.
Slater is a Broadway actor who rose to fame with his role as Spongebob in "The Spongebob Musical."
Here's what to know about Grande's rumored new boyfriend.
On July 20, multiple outlets reported that Ariana Grande and her "Wicked" costar Ethan Slater are dating. The revelation comes days after news broke of Grande's separation from her husband, Dalton Gomez.
Insider has reached out to reps for Slater and Grande, but did not receive an immediate response.
Here's everything to know about Grande's rumored new beau.
Slater is an actor who rose to fame playing Spongebob on Broadway
For his star turn as the plucky yellow sponge in the 2017 musical adaptation of "Spongebob Squarepants," Slater received several accolades, including a Tony award nomination. He also starred in the Classic Stage Company's production of "Assassins," which ran until January 2021, and has had roles on shows including "Law & Order: SVU" and "Fosse/Verdon."
The 31-year-old is playing Boq (who later becomes the Tin Man and is the love interest of Elphaba's sister Nessarose) in the forthcoming movie adaptation of "Wicked," which is presumably where he met Grande. The "Thank U, Next" singer stars as Glinda in the musical film.
Shortly after news broke of his rumored relationship with Grande, Slater's Instagram page was made private. When viewed by Insider before Slater made the account private, the page mostly featured clips from his past and upcoming projects, as well as a blurry selfie with his wife, Lilly Jay.
Slater recently welcomed a child with his wife, but sources told People that the two had separated
People reported that Slater and Jay, who met in high school, got married in 2018 and welcomed a child together earlier this year. A source quoted in the report said that Slater and his wife are separated, though they didn't give an exact timeframe of when the separation occurred. TMZ reported that Slater filed for divorce from wife Lilly Jay on July 26.
Jay later addressed her estranged husband's rumored new romance with Grande in an interview with Page Six, calling the singer "not a girl's girl" and saying her (Jay's) family was "just collateral damage" in the controversy.
As Insider's Callie Ahlgrim reported, Grande first sparked her own divorce rumors after she was spotted at a Wimbledon match without her wedding ring or engagement ring on July 16.
A day after the singer was spotted without her rings at Wimbledon, TMZ reported that Grande and her husband Dalton Gomez had been separated for several months and were "heading for divorce." The couple had been together since 2020, and married in 2021.
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