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Ethan Slater and his wife, Lilly Jay.
Ethan Slater and his wife, Lilly Jay.
@ethanslater / instagram
Culture > Entertainment

Wait… Isn’t Ethan Slater Married? Here’s What We Know About His Relationship Status

Julia Merola

If you’re like me, then you opened Twitter on July 20 and your first thought was, “Who is Lilly Jay? And did she and Ethan Slater actually split?” Twitter has been absolutely feral because the latest rumor about newly single Ariana Grande is that she’s dating her Wicked co-star Ethan Slater. 

Although TMZ reported that Slater started dating Grande after his split with his wife Lilly Jay, Twitter has quickly denied these claims. “Ethan Slater has been with his high school sweetheart since 2012, they got married in 2018 and had their first kid last year,” one Twitter user wrote. 

Slater is most known for his role as SpongeBob in the Broadway musical SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical which got him a Tony nomination for best actor in a musical, and a Drama Desk award for outstanding actor in a musical. 

As for Grande, if you’re late to the game here’s the rundown: Grande created literal chaos when she was seen at Wimbledon without her wedding ring, and sitting next to Andrew Garfield. Since then, we’ve learned that she and now ex-husband Dalton Gomez are heading toward divorce. Her Campus reached out to both Grande’s and Slater’s teams for comment, but did not hear back at the time of publication.

But again, who is his wife and how long have they been together? That’s what I want to know. 

Who is ethan slater’s wife?

Jay and Slater got married in 2018, and she was his long-time girlfriend before they tied the knot. They’ve actually known each other since they were 13 at a summer camp and maintained their friendship before they began dating.

Slater posted in January on Instagram that the two had welcomed their first child, and also dedicated another sweet Instagram post for Jay’s first Mother’s Day. 

Although the timeline and reason for their split aren’t definite, it’s clear that Slater and Jay seemed to be in a very loving relationship. 

Julia is a national writer at Her Campus, where she mainly covers mental health, wellness, and all things relating to Gen Z. Prior to becoming a national writer, Julia was the wellness intern for Her Campus. Outside of Her Campus, Julia is a managing editor at The Temple News, Temple University's independent student-run paper. She's also the Co-Campus Correspondent of Her Campus Temple University, where she oversees content for all sections of the website. Julia is also a student intern at the Logan Center for Urban Investigative Reporting, where she works on the data desk and is assisting her editor in building a database. She has previously interned at The American Prospect. In her free time, Julia enjoys going to the beach as much as possible, watching reality TV (specifically Real Housewives and Vanderpump Rules), and editing stories.