Who Is Ethan Slater? Meet the ‘Wicked’ Star & Ariana Grande’s Boyfriend

Ariana Grande moved on with one of her Broadway costars following her surprise split from ex-husband Dalton Gomez. The pop star has been dating her Wicked co-star Ethan Slater, since the news first broke in July 2023. That month, Ethan moved to end his marriage to his ex-wife of five years, Lilly Jay, by filing for divorce.

Learn all about Ethan below.

Ethan Slater Played SpongeBob SquarePants in the Broadway Musical

Ethan, born June 2, 1992 in Washington D.C., took his love of drama to Vassar College and then to the Great White Way. He quickly rose to fame playing the title role in the SpongeBob SquarePants musical on Broadway, for which he was nominated for a Tony Award in 2018. “It was a stroke of luck,” he told People that year of landing the gig. Although he didn’t take home the trophy, he did win a Drama Desk Award for the role.

Ethan Slater Played Boq in the ‘Wicked’ Films Alongside Ariana Grande

As mentioned, the two stars are taking over two iconic roles in the Wicked film series. Ariana is scheduled to play Glinda for the second part of the series, while Ethan has signed on for another go at Boq in Part Two as well. The first installment will drop on November 27, 2024, just in time for the holiday season, while Wicked: Part Two will be released on November 26, 2025.

Ethan Slater Married His High School Sweetheart

Ethan married high school classmate Lily in November 2018, as seen here. For their two-year anniversary, Ethan shared a gorgeous black and white snap from their wedding, captioning it, “Two years into marriage and we still find each other funny. Phew.Happy anniversary to the love of my life.”

Ethan Slater Welcomed A Son With His Ex-Wife In 2022

In January, Ethan took to Instagram to reveal that he and Lilly were the proud parents of their first child. In an adorable photo carousel, Ethan shared a snap of a onesie that read “Wicked Cute” alongside the caption,  “Super vague post, but we have a baby now,” he wrote, later confirming on Mother’s Day via Instagram that they’d welcomed a son. “Happy first Mother’s Day to the most loving caring and wonderful mom/person in the world. – from me and this little guy,” Ethan wrote.

Ethan Slater Has Guest Appeared On Several, Emmy Winning Shows

Ethan is no slouch when it comes to his acting resume. Alongside his Broadway accolades, Ethan has also been a part of numerous television shows. You can find him flexing his drama skills in such Emmy-winning programs as Law & Order: SVU, Fosse/Verdon and The Marvelous Mrs. Maison, per his IMDb.