Ethan Slater’s Ex-Wife Appears Carefree in First Sighting with Son Since His Split from Ariana Grande

Lilly Jay, the ex-wife of Wicked star Ethan Slater, was spotted out in downtown Jersey City on Thursday, June 25, marking her first public sighting since news broke that Slater and Ariana Grande called it quits, Star can exclusively reveal.

At approximately 5 p.m., an eyewitness spotted Jay pushing a young boy — believed to be the son she shares with Slater — in a stroller as they headed to a local park.

One detail stood out during the outing: Jay wasn’t wearing any rings on her left hand.

The mother-and-son duo stopped at a local vendor selling T-shirts benefiting a nearby high school’s summer basketball league. Jay appeared in good spirits as she browsed the merchandise, holding up different shirt sizes.

They later settled into the bleachers to watch the basketball game together. Her son, sporting a blue-and-orange New York Mets cap, happily sat on his mother’s lap as they cheered on the local players.

“It was obvious Lily is a very hands-on mom,” an eyewitness told Star. “She kept her son close the entire time, and you could see her pointing toward the players on the court, almost like she was explaining what was happening. She seemed completely focused on him and just came across as a really nice, down-to-earth mom.”

Jay became an unexpected public figure in 2023 after news broke that Slater had moved on with Grande following the end of their marriage. Jay and Slater, former high school sweethearts, share one son.

Jay opened up about her painful public split from Slater in an essay for The Cut titled How Does My Divorce Make You Feel?. In it, she discussed living in the “shadow of my husband’s new relationship with a celebrity,” the turmoil of losing her privacy due to Slater’s high-profile relationship with Grande, and the challenges that posed for her work as a clinical psychologist.

Star previously reported that Grande and Slater quietly ended their relationship earlier this year. However, sources recently told Rob Shuter‘s Naughty But Nice Substack that the pair still share a “deep connection.”

“Don’t be surprised if they’re together again before summer is over,” the source added.

A second source alleged that 34-year-old Slater is “still very much in love” with the “Thank U, Next” singer, who turned 34 on Friday, June 26.

Slater and Grande met while filming Wicked in late 2022. At the time, Slater had recently welcomed his first child with Jay, while Grande was married to real estate developer Dalton Gomez. Slater filed for divorce from Jay in July 2023, while Grande filed for a divorce from Gomez months later, in September 2023, citing “irreconcilable differences.”

Grande is currently on her Eternal Sunshine tour.