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26 Feb 2026 9:17
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  •   Home > News > Entertainment

    Ethan Slater has settled his divorce from Lilly Jay

    The Broadway actor - who is now dating Ariana Grande - split from his high school sweetheart in summer 2023 amid claims he had grown close to his 'Wicked' co-star, and the pair have now agreed the terms of their split and had their divorce signed off by a judge, TMZ reports.


    It is unclear how the former couple have agreed to split their assets or custody of their two-year-old son.

    The 32-year-old actor and Ariana went public with their romance last October, three months after they split.

    After Ethan filed for divorce last July, Lilly hit out at the 'Thank U, Next' hitmaker - whose marriage to Dalton Gomez also ended in 2023 - and said her family had been "collateral damage".

    She told the New York Post newspaper's Page Six column: "[Ariana's] the story really. Not a girl's girl.

    "My family is just collateral damage.

    "The story is her and Dalton [Gomez, Ariana's estranged husband]."

    Earlier this year, Ariana voiced her frustration over the speculation surrounding her relationship.

    Addressing the conversation around her personal life, she told 'The Zach Sang Show': "I feel like we don't need to go into any specifics.

    "But of course, there's an insatiable frustration, inexplicable, hellish feeling with watching people misunderstand the people you love, and you and anything."

    Ariana previously described 2023 as one of the "most challenging" years of her life.

    She wrote on Instagram: "one of the most transformative, most challenging, and yet happiest and most special years of my life. there were so many beautiful and yet polarized feelings.

    "i've never felt more at the mercy of and in acceptance of what life was screaming to teach me. i've never felt more fulfilled by or present in my work, being able to cherish every moment. i gave everything i could have possibly given of my heart and of myself to the projects i was fortunate enough to be a part of and learned so much from every brilliant, beautiful, soul that i had the privilege of creating art with and crossing paths with this year.

    "i have never felt more pride or joy or love while simultaneously feeling so deeply misunderstood by people who don't know me, who piece whispers together and make what they want out of me and their assumptions of my life. i have learned how much more important one of those things is than the other. (sic)"

    © 2026 Bang Showbiz, NZCity

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     Today's News

    International:
    Iceland to hold referendum on joining EU a decade after abandoning membership talks 9:07

    Entertainment:
    Bad Bunny hailed Willie Colón as "one of the legends who contributed" to Latin music following his death 8:51

    Entertainment:
    JoJo Siwa hopes her signature bows can inspire a new generation to find "their voice and confidence" 8:21

    Business:
    It feels like the golden days for dairy farmers - as they celebrate a record-breaking year 8:17

    Rugby:
    A new role and an appointment at New Zealand Rugby as part of their high performance overhaul 8:07

    Basketball:
    Tall Blacks coach Judd Flavell claims Parker Jackson-Cartwright's done the groundwork to fit in, should eligibility laws allow him to represent New Zealand 7:57

    Entertainment:
    Wunmi Mosaku wants to make women feel "seen and represented" with her maternity line 7:51

    International:
    New image taken by ALMA telescope reveals 'extraordinary' detail of Milky Way's central zone 7:47

    Health & Safety:
    Surgeries are being put off at Christchurch Hospital 7:47

    Law and Order:
    Police are investigating a sudden death in Auckland's Taupaki last night 7:37


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