The details continue to leak from the set of Wicked about Ariana Grande’s alleged affair with co-star Ethan Slater. The latest heartbreaking revelation involved Slater’s estranged wife, Lilly Jay, who was reportedly befriended by the “Thank U, Next” singer before the cheating scandal came to light.
TMZ sources noted that Grande often hung out with the couple when Jay came to visit the set in London. And before Slater’s Instagram account went private, she often liked posts that were dedicated to his wife. The media outlet’s insiders continue to insist that the relationship began well after Grande was split from her husband, Dalton Gomez, and Slater had separated from his wife. “It’s understandable that emotions are high and it’s hard seeing your ex move on, especially in such a public way, and her friends are trying to protect her,” the source explained. “But Ari and Ethan are just trying to lay low and be respectful of their exes as they pursue this new relationship.“
However, Us Weekly insiders are telling a much different tale about the timeline, noting that Grande and Slater were “sloppy” about covering up their relationship. “They’d hold hands on set in between takes. They were sloppy and not hiding it,” the source claimed. Jay reportedly “never saw it [the affair] coming” until “Ethan sat Lilly down a few days before the news broke about him and Ariana and said that he wanted a divorce.” Jay’s pal indicated that she was not only “blindsided” by the news, but that the relationships overlapped each other.
Grande nor Slater have addressed the allegations publicly and the Wicked set is currently shut down due to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike. Once production is up and running, the atmosphere might be a bit awkward for the entire cast and crew because they now have confirmed information that their co-workers were doing more than rehearsing their lines behind the scenes.