Ethan Slater’s ex-wife Lilly Jay is speaking out publicly for the first time since finalizing her divorce in September.
The psychologist penned a personal essay for The Cut and spoke about her relationship with the Wicked actor, which ended while Slater was filming the movie. Jay, who shares her 2-year-old son with Slater, said that although their partnership looks different, they are prioritizing their child.
“While our partnership has changed, our parenthood has not,” Jay wrote. “Both of us fiercely love our son 100 percent of the time, regardless of how our parenting time is divided.”
“As for me, days with my son are sunny. Days when I can’t escape the promotion of a movie associated with the saddest days of my life are darker,” she added.
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The Spamalot actor and Jay finalized their split on Sept. 12, after five years of marriage, TMZ reported. He began dating his Wicked movie costar Ariana Grande after his separation from Jay earlier this year.
Shortly after news of Slater’s romance with Grande went public, Jay spoke out about her ex’s new relationship in a conversation with Page Six.
“[Ariana’s] the story really. Not a girl’s girl,” Jay told the outlet. “My family is just collateral damage.”
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Jay also said she was focused on being “a good mom” to her and Slater’s son, adding in reference to Grande’s own breakup from husband Dalton Gomez, “The story is her and Dalton.”
Slater married Jay in November 2018, six years after they began dating. On Slater’s Instagram, he’s previously shared various posts with Jay that included a post on Mother’s Day that was “liked” by Grande and read, “Happy first Mother’s Day to the most loving caring and wonderful mom/person in the world. – from me and this little guy.”
The post came a few months after Slater revealed he and Jay had welcomed their first child together by sharing a photo of a onesie that read “Wicked Cute.”
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