Spongebob Squarepants star Ethan Slater is reportedly dating pop sensation Ariana Grande.
However, the news seemed to have blindsided his estranged wife, Lilly Jay, who was reportedly unaware of the budding romance until just a few days before it went public.
“Ethan sat Lilly down a few days before the news broke about him and Ariana and said that he wanted a divorce,” the source told Us Weekly. “Lilly never saw it coming.”
Both stars are set to appear in the upcoming Wicked movie, with Ariana playing Glinda and Ethan taking on the role of Boq.
On set, they were reportedly quite affectionate, holding hands in between takes, leaving little care for secrecy.
Ariana's own relationship status had made headlines when she announced her split from real estate agent Dalton Gomez, whom she had been married to for two years.
Rumours began circulating when she was spotted without her wedding ring at Wimbledon.
Ethan and Lilly were high school sweethearts, who started dating in 2012 and tied the knot in 2018.
They welcomed their first child, a boy whose name has not been made public, last year.
The couple had reportedly been estranged for some time before Ethan officially filed for divorce in New York on Wednesday, according to legal docs obtained by TMZ. We don't yet know the specific reason Ethan's listed for the split.
The news of Ethan's relationship with Ariana is believed to have left Lilly inconsolable. A source told Page Six : “It’s horrible. They were high school sweethearts. They have a baby! She’s a wreck.”
Ethan's co-star from Spongebob Squarepants, Lilli Cooper, who played Sandy Cheeks, was surprised by the unexpected couple, stating that she hadn't spoken to Ethan in a while.
“I haven’t spoken to him in a while,” Lilli, 33, said to Page Six on Monday, July 24. “It’s an interesting coupling, for sure, unexpected.”
The previous Mother's Day, Ethan took to Instagram to post a tribute to his wife, which Ariana liked, calling her "the most loving caring and wonderful mom/person in the world." However, his social media activity has since become private after the news of his relationship with Ariana became public.
As for Ethan and Ariana's, a source told TMZ: "It's understandable that emotions are high and it's hard seeing your ex move on, especially in such a public way, and her friends are trying to protect her. But Ari and Ethan are just trying to lay low and be respectful of their exes as they pursue this new relationship."
Ariana is yet to confirm her split from her real estate mogul husband, but a source close to her has told Page Six: "They came to the decision together. They were having problems before January, but they want to remain best friends."
It's thought that Dalton jetted to London to visit Ariana while she was away filming in January as a last ditch attempt to mend their broken relationship, however, the pair ultimately decided to part ways.
OK! has approached representatives for Ethan and Ariana for comment.
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