Ariana Grande May Not Be A 'Girl's Girl' — But She's Not The One Who Cheated
Whether you're the other woman or the cheating husband, the responsibility is not solely the woman's.
Tinseltown / lev radin / Shutterstock In light of the news that pop star Ariana Grande and her Wicked co-star, Ethan Slater, are allegedly dating, Slater’s soon-to-be ex-wife, Lilly Jay, has broken her silence.
According to Jay, her family is “collateral damage” following her split from Slater. She also made it clear that she is not particularly a fan of Grande at the moment, exclusively telling Page Six that she is “not a girl’s girl,” considering her most recent actions.
Over the years, Grande has expressed her feminist ideals and has stated that she is a firm believer in female empowerment, which has many fans scratching their heads now.
People point out that it is difficult to believe that Grande practices what she preaches if she is willing to start a romance with a man who has been with his high school sweetheart for over a decade and recently welcomed their first child with her all in just a few months.
But Ariana Grande isn't the one who cheated on her partner — Ethan Slater is.
Ariana Grande claims to be an advocate for women; however, many people are now questioning if her beliefs are genuine.
Just months before the news broke that Grande and Slater were dating, Slater and his estranged wife reportedly hung out with Grande. While chit-chatting, Grande was in awe with Slater and Jay’s baby boy, who was born last August, holding him in her arms and telling those around her that she “wanted a baby of her own” one day.
At the time, Grande was married to her husband of nearly two years, Dalton Gomez.
On July 17, TMZ reported that Grande and Gomez had separated in January 2023 and were “on their way to divorce.” Just three days later, it was revealed that Grande was dating her Wicked co-star, Ethan Slater, who she had allegedly been seeing for several months.
Slater filed for divorce from his wife Lilly Jay in a New York court on July 26, 2023. According to sources, Jay was “blindsided” by her husband’s actions given that they had a healthy marriage and nothing appeared to be wrong — that is, until Grande entered the picture.
Ariana Grande has a history of 'breaking up' other relationships.
In 2013, Grande's ex-boyfriend, Jai Brooks accused her of cheating on him with Nathan Sykes. It was later announced that Grande and Sykes were dating.
Later that year, rumors circulated that Grande and the late artist Mac Miller were seen together while Miller was dating his longtime girlfriend, Nomi Leasure, who accused Grande of getting together with Miller again in 2016 before they ultimately broke up.
In 2014, while late actress Naya Rivera was engaged to rapper Big Sean, she allegedly walked into her home to discover Grande hanging out inside. It was later announced that Rivera and Big Sean had ended their engagement, and that he was dating Grande.
In 2018, comedian Pete Davidson's ex-girlfriend, Cazzie David, claimed that Davidson had broken up with her via text message just one day before she learned that he was dating Grande through Instagram.
Fans have now labeled the pop star as a “serial cheater” and a “homewrecker,” following Jay’s comments about her not being a “girl’s girl," as well as taking her dating history into consideration.
“Ariana Grande is not a good person and is definitely one of those types of girls who ONLY go after guys already in relationships and it is so gross and weird,” one Twitter user shared, referring to Grande’s history of seemingly breaking up happy relationships.
“She deserves to be called out for pretending to be a feminist while behind closed doors she’s being slimy towards women.”
“Ariana Grande is a prime example of a woman who’ll sit up in your face, pretend to be your friend, and be with your man behind your back,” another user wrote. “There’s drought in female friendships because y’all be selfish and evil. No respect, no morals, no girl code. Trying to build happiness off of another woman’s sorrow.”
Grande has publicly claimed to be a feminist who supports women several times throughout the years.
In an interview with Pop Sugar in 2016, she argued that she is a strong believer in feminism since men and women deserve the same rights and equalities and that the feminist movement is not about “boy-bashing” as some may believe it to be.
“There is a misconception about what it [feminsim] means,” Grande says. “I love boys, but I also love women.”
Additionally, Grande has emphasized that women are human and do not deserve to be objectified, stated that she wants women to feel “strong” and empowered by her music, and participated in the Women’s March in 2017 alongside her mother and grandmother.
While many people have noted that her actions do not align with her words regarding female empowerment, it is important to note that it takes two to tango.
Despite the backlash Grande is facing, Ethan Slater is equally as responsible for the breakup of his family.
It is important to note that while Lilly Jay criticized Grande as “not a girl’s girl,” her soon-to-be ex-husband is the one who she says “abandoned their family.” Grande was ultimately not the one who made a commitment to Jay, promised to love and stand by her, and had a child with her.
While the relationship between Grande and Slater may have caused irreparable damage to Jay’s life and family, it was her soon-to-be ex-husband who made the decision to walk away. Whether or not his decision was influenced by Grande is irrelevant.
Going back to Grande’s statements regarding feminism, she is correct that women and men should be held to equal standards.
This means that men should be held equally responsible for their failed marriages when they decide to stray from their wives, not just “the other woman.”
If a woman can come into a happy family and break up the dynamic, it is only because the man opened the door to let her in.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.