Life moves on, and so does Ethan Slater. Just three days after news broke that the Wicked actor had ended his nearly three-year relationship with Ariana Grande, he showed up to Free Shakespeare in the Park’s production of Romeo&Juliet at the Delacorte Theater in New York City’s Central Park on Thursday, June 11, looking every bit the unbothered professional.
The 34-year-old kept it simple—white T-shirt, black pants, white sneakers—and posed for photos at the press night event. It’s a small gesture in the grand scheme of celebrity breakups, but it signals something worth noting: Slater’s not disappearing or licking wounds in private. He’s out, visible, and moving forward with his work.
The timing is especially interesting because Grande, 32, is simultaneously kicking off her Eternal Sunshine Tour. She launched the tour on Saturday, June 6, in Oakland, California, with performances scheduled for Saturday, June 13, and Sunday, June 14, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Both artists are doing what they do best—showing up for their careers—which speaks to the amicable nature of their split.
According to sources, the pair had actually been quietly broken up for several months before the news went public on Monday, June 8. They met on the Wicked set in 2022, where Grande played Glinda the Good Witch in 2024’s Wicked and 2025’s Wicked: For Good, while Slater played Boq. After their press tour wrapped, they gradually spent more time apart. The insider’s take? They both wanted different things and mutually agreed to part ways. It’s refreshingly drama-free in an industry rarely known for restraint.
What makes this moment slightly more complex is the backdrop of Slater’s previous marriage. He was married to clinical psychologist Lilly Jay from 2018 to 2024, and they share a 3-year-old son, Ezra. In a December 2024 essay for The Cut titled How Does My Divorce Make You Feel?, Jay opened up about the difficulty of her split coinciding with Slater’s public relationship with Grande during the Wicked press tour. She wrote about how days with her son are sunny, but days when she can’t escape the movie promotion tied to the saddest days of her life are darker. That’s real pain, and it’s worth acknowledging even as Slater and Grande move forward separately.
Still, Slater’s low-key appearance at the Shakespeare in the Park event suggests he’s neither hiding nor making a spectacle. He’s simply continuing to do the work. Sometimes that’s the healthiest move of all.
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.