Ariana Grande has sparked a new romance with Ethan Slater, but her estranged husband, Dalton Gomez, is still reeling from their split.
“Although Dalton knows Ariana has moved on with Ethan, he still hasn’t given up hope that they can make things work,” a source exclusively tells Us Weekly. “On one hand, Dalton wants to give Ariana her space, but on the other, he’s been trying to remain in contact with her.”
The insider adds that it’s been hard for Gomez, 27, to accept that he’s come to the end of the road with Grande, 30, whom he wed in May 2021. “What they had was the real deal and he’s still coming to terms with the fact that they’ve split,” the source explains. “His friends have been trying to set him up with people and although he’s been dating, he’s still holding out that him and Ariana will get back together.”
Us confirmed earlier this month that Grande and Gomez had called it quits, with a source telling Us that the pair started having problems “that they couldn’t resolve” before the “Positions” singer left to film Wicked in London in December 2022. “The distance did not help,” the insider added.
After news broke on July 20 that Grande is now dating Slater, 31 — whom she met on the Wicked set – a source told Us that the duo’s relationship is “fairly new.” The insider also cleared up the timeline of when Grande ended things with Gomez and when she got together with Slater.
“Ariana and Dalton split in January, and Ethan is separated from his wife,” the source explained. “Ariana and Ethan have only recently begun seeing each other but they have a lot of fun together and are enjoying each other’s company.”
While Gomez is trying to give Grande space amid the split, Slater’s estranged wife, Lilly Jay, slammed Grande during a Thursday, July 27, interview with Page Six.
“[Ariana’s] the story really. Not a girl’s girl,” said Jay, 31, who shares a 12-month-old son with Slater. “My family is just collateral damage. The story is her and Dalton.” Jay added that her priority is being “a good mom” to her and Slater’s son.
Days after Grande and Slater’s romance made headlines, Slater filed for divorce from his high school sweetheart, whom he wed in 2018. Although the actor is moving on from his marriage, those close to him have concerns about him and Grande.
“[They’re] worried she’ll break his heart,” a source exclusively reveals in the new issue of Us Weekly. The insider added that the twosome “weren’t careful” about hiding their relationship from their Wicked costars as their bond grew. “They’d hold hands on set in between takes,” the source said of their “sloppy” behavior.
