Who is Ethan Slater? 5 facts to know about Ariana Grande's ex-boyfriend

News of Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater’s breakup made the rounds on Tuesday morning, with reports saying the two quietly split months ago.

Although they never officially confirmed their relationship, Ariana and Ethan would post photos of each other beginning in 2023, and were spotted at events together.

Ariana is known as a famous popstar, while Ethan is actually also known in the theater scene. They met while filming "Wicked."

Here are five facts about Ethan.

1. He starred as SpongeBob SquarePants in ‘SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical’

Ethan is best known for his role as SpongeBob SquarePants in “SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical.”

The story follows the residents of Bikini Bottom attempting to save their town from an erupting volcano.

The musical has 12 Tony Award nominations, which tied with “Mean Girls” for the most nominated production in 2018. It was nominated for Best Musical while Ethan was nominated for Best Actor.

Ethan received the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical for the role.

Aside from “Spongebob,” Ethan has acted in the stage productions, “Assassins,” and “Spamalot,” among others.

2. You’ve probably seen him on TV

Aside from his work on stage, Ethan has also appeared in various TV shows, including “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” episode titled 'Revenge,' per IMDB.

He also appeared in “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and “Sofia the First: Royal Magic.”

3. Ethan also starred in ‘Wicked’

Ethan was among the stars of “Wicked” and “Wicked: For Good," playiing Boq Woodsman, a munchkin.

Upon arriving at Shiz University, Boq is instantly smitten with Glinda, Ariana’s character, who doesn’t feel the same way for him.

He enters a relationship with Nessarose even though he doesn’t love her.

In “Wicked: For Good,” Boq tries to leave Nessarose, who tries to stop him by casting a spell on him, transforming him into the Tin Man.

4. He married his high school sweetheart

Before Ariana, Ethan was previously married to his high school sweetheart, clinical psychologist Lilly Jay. They tied the knot in 2018, and their son was born in 2022.

Ethan filed for divorce in 2023, which was finalized in 2024.

5. Ethan and Ariana started dating after their own breakups

Like Ethan, Ariana was also previously married (to real estate agent Dalton Gomez), and like Ethan, she got divorced in 2023.

It was after their separations that Ethan and Ariana reportedly started dating.

Ariana and Ethan’s relationship was widely scrutinized by the public, with netizens saying that Ethan entered the relationship before his separation.

In an interview with Page Six, Lilly said that Ariana was "the story really."

"Not a girl’s girl,” she added. — LA, GMA News