Ethan Slater's Broadway Co-Star Responds to 'Unexpected' Ariana Grande Romance
One of Ethan Slater's Broadway co-stars is giving her two cents on the performer's new romance with Ariana Grande, who has reportedly split from her husband of two years, Dalton Gomez.
Lilli Cooper, who starred alongside the actor in SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical, reacted to the news of Slater's new fling while attending the opening of The Cottage on Monday, July 24, telling Page Six she was just as shocked as the rest of us when she found out.
"I was surprised," Cooper, who played Sandy Cheeks alongside Slater's SpongeBob, told the outlet, while calling the new flames an "unexpected" duo.
"I haven't spoken to him in a while," the 33-year-old performer admitted of her co-star, who she worked with on the musical's Chicago and New York productions in 2016 and 2017, respectively.
"It's an interesting coupling, for sure," she added.
Cooper definitely wasn't the only person to be caught off guard by the news after sources revealed that Grande recently began dating Slater, 31, following his split from wife Lily Jay. Slater and Jay—who tied the knot in 2018—had been together for ten years and even have a baby together, a son who was born back in January.
Grande, 30, has also called things off with Gomez, 27, whom she wed in 2021. Sources connected to the couple confirmed the downfall of their marriage, alleging that the pair have actually been separated since the beginning of the year, though they still remain on friendly terms.
Grande and Slater met on set of the highly anticipated film adaptation of Wicked, in which the "thank u next" singer stars as Glinda opposite Slater's Boq.
Wicked Part 1 is scheduled to hit theaters on Nov. 27, 2024, with Part 2 following on Nov. 26, 2025, though it is unclear if the ongoing WGA strike will impact these release dates.
Next: Ariana Grande's Separation From Dalton Gomez Prompts Mixed Reactions From Fans