Fans have been left reeling by the tear-jerking admission made by Lilly Jay about her split from actor Ethan Slater (Wicked).
Baring all in an emotional first-person piece titled 'How Does My Divorce Make You Feel?', the American psychologist set the record straight on rumours that he'd left her for his Wicked co-star, Ariana Grande, having since been heaped in praise for her honesty.
Jay and Slater had been 'childhood sweethearts', tying the knot in 2018, five years before the actor began filming the magical musical.
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The duo also welcomed a beautiful boy together in 2022, with Jay having almost died during a traumatic labour.
Not long after Jay survived preeclampsia, however, rumours began to spread that her husband had gotten close to a certain Wicked co-star, though she chose not to address the speculation at the time.
However, Slater and 'Glinda the Good' star Ariana Grande went public with their romance earlier this year, confirming that he and Jay had sadly separated behind the scenes.
The 'Boq' actor told GQ at the time that he struggled to have his 'personal life being commented on', while Grande described the transition to Variety as a 'rough ride', insisting criticism of Slater couldn't be 'less accurate'.
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Throughout this time, Jay's lips remained sealed, with the mother-of-one only breaking her silence on the controversy just last week, revealing the impact that the split and Slater's new romance have had on her and her son.
Writing for The Cut, Jay began: "Motherhood, I have learned, fills your time but not your mind. In the countless hours I spend rocking my son to sleep, pushing his stroller, marvelling at his sweaty little hands grasping a crayon, I work diligently on my private project of accepting the sudden public downfall of my marriage.
"This, I tell myself, is nothing to be ashamed of and nothing to hide.
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"Slowly but surely, I have come to believe that in the absence of the life I planned with my high-school sweetheart, a lifetime of sweetness is waiting for me and my child."
Touching on rumours that the split had been sparked by Slater's interest in Grande, she shocked readers by admitting: "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."
With Slater and Grande rumoured to have gotten close on the set of Wicked, she 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."
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Jay also touched on the impact her divorce has had on her professional life, claiming she previously flew under the radar with patients who now read about her love life in the press.
"I was never meant to be fully known to them,” she wrote, before adding" "If I can’t be invisible any more, I may as well introduce myself."
As we say, Jay's comments have since struck a chord with readers, with many praising her for speaking out.
"This is so beautifully written and I have mad respect for her gracefulness," one gushed on Reddit.
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Another penned: "I am truly in awe of her ability to have said her true feelings without even mentioning their names. Tbh, a LOT of people in her position wouldn’t have shown nearly as much mercy."
While a third commented: "She is a terrific writer… the kind that makes you truly empathise. I feel like I’m hurting with her."
Tyla previously reached out to representatives of Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater for comment.
Topics: Ariana Grande, Celebrity, TV And Film
Rhianna Benson