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19 Feb 2026 11:55
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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

    Entertainment:
    Walton Goggins has hailed Robert Duvall as the "greatest storyteller of all time" 11:27

    Living & Travel:
    Winter Olympics 2026: Dog invades cross-country skiing, Americans get engaged as Ally Hickman feels the pain — day 12 quick hits 11:17

    National:
    Israel is accelerating its creeping annexation of the West Bank. Can Donald Trump stop it? 11:17

    Business:
    The Reserve Bank says severe weather is partly to blame for the recent sharp rise in the cost of food 11:07

    Entertainment:
    Daniel Radcliffe is "always taking care" of Tracy Morgan 10:57

    Rugby League:
    Kiwi rugby league halfback Jahrome Hughes is happy to turn his back on the big bucks on offer in State of Origin 10:57

    Law and Order:
    An extensive police operation is under way on a street in Christchurch's Northcote - where four people were injured last night, reportedly in a gang-related altercation 10:57

    Accident and Emergency:
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    Law and Order:
    A person's in hospital with serious injuries consistent with a gunshot wound - after an attack in a South Auckland garage last night 10:37

    National:
    Racing enjoys special treatment under NZ gambling laws. Why? 10:37


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