Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater have danced through their lives amidst mega success EvilPart 2 is on the way.

During the film’s press tour, the co-stars sang each other’s praises and shared some almost PDA-like moments. Otherwise, they largely kept their romance low-key after their respective marriages ended.

Now Slater’s ex-wife Lilly Jay’s essay for the Cut about dealing with her divorce “in the shadow of my husband’s new relationship with a celebrity” is causing a bit of a stir in her happiness.

In July 2023, it was reported that Grande was dating Slater, who recently split from Jay, less than a year after they welcomed their first child together.

“In the countless hours I spend rocking my son to sleep, pushing his stroller, and marveling at his sweaty little hands holding a crayon, I am diligently working on my private project, the sudden public demise of my marriage to accept,” Jay wrote. “This, I tell myself, is nothing to be ashamed of and nothing to hide. Slowly but surely, I have come to believe that without the life I had planned with my high school sweetheart, there is a life full of sweetness waiting for me and my child.

In the article titled “How Do You Feel After My Divorce?” – The clinical psychologist wrote that “No couple gets married thinking they’re going to get divorced, just like we don’t get on a plane expecting a crash.” But I really never thought I would get a divorce. Especially not right after the birth of my first child and certainly not in the shadow of my husband’s new relationship with a celebrity.

She also referred to this Evil.

“The days with my son are sunny. Days are darker when I can’t escape the publicity for a film tied to the saddest days of my life,” she wrote.

Jay also wrote about the “growing distance” between her and Slater during filming Evil with Grande in the UK.

“As a perinatal psychologist, I knew all the statistics – how vulnerable a marriage is in the postpartum period, how important connection to community is in preventing depression and anxiety, how new parenthood affects the entire family – but I am confident “Moved to another country with my family, 2 month old baby and my husband to support his career,” she wrote. “Consumed by the magic and mundanity of new motherhood, I didn’t understand the growing distance between us.”

Jay said the point of her statement was that her high-profile breakup could, if nothing else, help others.

“Perhaps we can reflect on my messy, not-so-personal life in this way: a dose of my own loss, my anger, my powerlessness, my sadness that helps me hold yours,” she wrote. “Knowing what you know now, I can say with personal and professional authority that you are so much stronger than you realize. What you loved most about your partner was actually your own goodness reflected in you; It’s up to you to keep it and keep it going.”

She also wrote that she and Slater both “love our son 100 percent, regardless of how our parenting time is divided.”

Jay’s new comments about the divorce bring Grande and Slater’s romance timeline back into focus.

December 2022: Evil started production. Grande was cast as Glinda, while Slater was hired to play Boq, who has a crush on Glinda. The actors were photographed together in a picture on co-star Michelle Yeoh’s Instagram feed.

July 17, 2023: Grande reportedly split from Dalton Gomez after two years of marriage. An insider said they have been “separated since January.”

July 20, 2023: Reports confirm that Grande has started dating Slater. Things are “pretty new,” said an insider. There are unfounded rumors suggesting that they got together before breaking up with their partners.

July 26, 2023: Slater filed for divorce from Jay, whom he married in 2018, just a month before their son’s first birthday.

July 27, 2023: Jay told Page Six that Grande is “not a girl’s girl” and that she and her son are “collateral damage” amid the breakup.

September 18, 2023: Grande filed for divorce from Gomez. Their separation is listed as February 20, 2023.

September 25, 2023: Grande and Slater were spotted together as a couple for the first time at Disney World.

November 12, 2023: The couple went to investigate Gutenberg! The musical! and a photo of them together backstage was posted on Instagram.

November 16, 2023: Grande supported Slater at the premiere of Broadway’s Spamalotin which he played the main role. They don’t pose together.

January 12, 2024: Grande released “So What?” a sharp response to criticism of her relationship with Slater.

March 19, 2024: Grande has finalized her divorce from Gomez.

April 7, 2024: Grande attended Slater’s finale Spamalot show.

April 10, 2024: They advertised together in Las Vegas Evil at CinemaCon.

June 8, 2024: The couple had a date at the Stanley Cup Finals.

September 13, 2024: Slater has finalized his divorce from Jay.

September 30, 2024: With promotion underway for EvilGrande told Vanity Fair she finds it “disappointing” that so many people believe “the worst version” about the origins of their relationship.

She defended Slater from rumors that he had abandoned Jay and their son, saying: “There couldn’t be a less accurate portrayal of a human being than the one that the tabloids spread about him.”… No one on this earth is more self-effacing Makes an effort or less effort to be there for the people he loves and cares about. There is no one on this earth with a better heart and that is something no fucking tabloid can describe in real life.”

Oct 30, 2024: Slater opened up to GQ about the speculation surrounding his relationship with Grande.

“I think it was really difficult to comment on things in your personal life and be looked at by the public,” he said. “There’s really been a lot of big changes in personal lives, so it’s really hard to see people who don’t know anything about what’s going on commenting and speculating and then doing something wrong about the people you love.”

November 3, 2024: Grande posted her first photo of Slater on Instagram.

November 9, 2024: The couple shared sweet moments at the LA premiere of Evil. She told Entertainment Tonight: “He’s such an amazing person. I’m so glad people are getting to know him. My heart is very happy.”

November 14, 2024: They had another sweet moment on the red carpet at the New York premiere of Evil.

November 22, 2024: Slater shared set photos, including several with Grande.

Dec 19, 2024: Jay wrote an essay for the Cut about her divorce from her high school sweetheart and his “new relationship with a celebrity.” She said she never expected to get a divorce, but when they moved to England to film Slater, they separated Bad next to it Great. Jay said that as she adjusts to her new normal, there are “days when I can’t escape the promotion of a movie associated with the saddest days.”