Ethan Slater issues rare comment about son amid Ariana Grande romance

Ethan Slater has issued rare comments about his son and revealed why he doesn't publicly speak about him.

The Wicked star, 33, who is currently dating Ariana Grande, 32, shares his three-year-old son Ezra with his ex-wife Lilly Jay, whom he'd been romantically involved since they were teenagers, before their wedding in 2018.

As per US Weekly, Ethan filed for divorce from Lilly on 26 July 2023 and by September it was finalised.

Meanwhile, Ariana was married to Dalton Gomez for two years, but the couple announced their separation in 2023 and divorced shortly after.

Ariana and Ethan, who respectively play Glinda and Boq in the fan-favourite movie, met on the Wicked set and have officially been in a relationship since July 2023.

However, their romance proved controversial as the pair were rumoured to have been romantically involved for months before ending their relationships, which they have both denied.

Ethan Slater has explained why he's reluctant to publicly talk about his son (YouTube/@‌GianmarcoSoresi)

"I think there was something that was really difficult about things in your private life being commented on and looked at by the public," Ethan told GQ at the time.

He added: "There were a lot of big changes in private lives that were really happening, so it's really hard to see people who don't know anything about what's happening commenting on it."

Meanwhile, Ariana told Vanity Fair that same month: "The most disappointing part was to see so many people believe the worst version of it.

"There couldn’t be a less accurate depiction of a human being than the one that the tabloids spread about him."

Then, Ethan's ex-wife Lilly dropped a bombshell first-person statement in The Cut, where she wrote: "I really never thought I would get divorced. Especially not just after giving birth to my first child and especially not in the shadow of my husband’s new relationship with a celebrity."

She heartbreakingly added: "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."

The former couple's son Ezra has been largely kept out of the spotlight - and now Ethan has explained the reason why.

He shares Ezra with his ex-wife Lilly Jay (Theo Wargo/Getty Images)

Speaking on a recent episode of Gianmarco Soresi's podcast, The Downside, the actor said: "I try not to tell stories about my son because I want to let him meet the world and let the world meet him on his own terms."

He firmly added: "So I don't tell stories or anecdotes."

However, he did recall that he's been having chats with the little one about 'what it means to be Jewish'.

The conversation was prompted by last year's tragic Bondi Beach shooting, where gunmen opened fire on beachgoers celebrating the Jewish religious festival Hanukkah.

Ethan said: 'I will just say, having that moment of lighting candles with him and talking about what it means to be Jewish has been a really interesting experience."

He added: "And so, I'm grateful for that in a sea of not being grateful for a lot of other things. I've been finding some hope in that."

While Slater rarely references his son, he did speak about Ezra in an interview with GQ in 2024.

He admitted that while 'there’s nothing I want to do more than just show you pictures and talk about him because he’s the best and the light of my life', he wanted his son 'to meet the world in an analog way and not through my words'.