'Wicked' star Ethan Slater's ex-wife Lilly Jay breaks silence on public divorce


By AGENCY

Ethan Slater attends the 'Journey Through Oz' Tour to celebrate the Australian premiere of 'Wicked' at State Theatre on Nov 3, 2024, in Sydney. Photo: TNS

Ethan Slater‘s ex-wife, Lilly Jay, is opening up on life after the Wicked star left her and abruptly began a new relationship with co-star Ariana Grande.

Jay, a licensed clinical psychologist, finalized her divorce from the Tony-nominated actor in September of last year, amid him going public with his co-star. The former couple, who were married in 2018 after dating in high school, share a 2-year-old son.

Jay broke her silence in a personal essay published Thursday by The Cut.

“Slowly but surely, I have come to believe that in the absence of the life I planned with my high-school sweetheart, a lifetime of sweetness is waiting for me and my child,” Jay wrote. “While our partnership has changed, our parenthood has not. Both of us fiercely love our son 100% of the time, regardless of how our parenting time is divided.”

Jay added that days with her son “are sunny” even when she “can’t escape the promotion of a movie associated with the saddest days of my life.”

But the Columbia and Long Island University alum revealed the high-profile split has taken a toll on her professionally.

“I can’t say for sure how much my career has been impacted by what’s out there online,” she wrote. “But there have been hints along the way, like the job offer that dissolved without explanation after yet another tabloid news cycle or the patient who’s scheduled for a first appointment but seemingly vanishes.”

According to her LinkedIn profile, Jay recently began a job with Prospect Psychology in New York. She previously worked in perinatal care at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

“I loved my life working in a helping profession and being immersed in the details of other people’s stories rather than documenting my own narrative for public consumption,” the Maryland native reflected.

Jay’s essay comes after more than a year of silence on her public breakup from the Broadway star.

Slater first filed divorce documents in July 2023 amid a rumored romance with Grande, who split from her husband of two years, Dalton Gomez, that very same month.

The new couple reportedly met on the set of Wicked, though sources have insisted they were both separated from their respective spouses prior to embarking on their own romance.

Insiders previously told TMZ that Jay was devastated by the split and felt her husband had abandoned their family. – New York Daily News/Tribune News Service

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!
   

Next In Entertainment

HK actor Kent Cheng was once RM9.8mil in debt, sold his car & home to stay afloat
Local film producer Jaguar Lim, 59, expecting child with wife, 32 years his junior
Blake Lively sues 'It Ends With Us' co-star and director Justin Baldoni for sexual harassment
Blackpink's Lalisa to dazzle Bangkok's New Year's Eve countdown party
Tiny Brazil bar gets 24K Magic moment with Bruno Mars visit
Actor Chow Yun-fat, showing his photographs of Hong Kong, says ‘It works when it’s right’
Squid Games S2 features games that are 'each more unpredictable and deadly than the last', says director
Singaporean actor Xie Shaoguang to play wealthy but lonely tycoon in first drama in 20 years
No quitting: Bollywood's Aamir Khan wants to keep acting
2NE1 to celebrate 15th anniversary with limited-edition LP of hits

Others Also Read