Ariana Grande's Boyfriend Ethan Slater Locked In A Bitter 'Contested' Divorce

Ariana Grande's new boyfriend -- Ethan Slater -- is being dragged into a nasty divorce after his ex-wife filed her own "contested" divorce signaling things could get ugly.

According to legal documents, obtained by The Blast, Slater's estranged wife Lilly Jayfiled a new divorce case in Tompkins County Courthouse in Ithaca, New York creating a conflicting case against Ethan's original divorce filed a few weeks ago.

In the new case, Lilly says the divorce is "contested" and it appears to show that these two are not on the same page in this breakup and divorce. Specifically, a contested divorce is described as "when your spouse disagrees with anything in the case, including the divorce itself, the property division, child custody, or financial support."

In other words, she isn't just going to go along with what he is wanting in the case.

Now, it's unclear which part of the divorce she isn't going along with -- and it's possible she doesn't even want the divorce. It should be noted, the couple welcomed a baby son back in August of 2022, so child support and custody will be an issue in the split. But, it's clear a fight is on the way. There is no reason to file TWO divorce cases in the same state for the same breakup unless you are preparing for a battle.

As we reported, Ethan filed for divorce in New York in late July, after it was made public that he was dating his 'Wicked' co-star Ariana Grande. The Broadway star married Jay in November of 2018, six years after they began dating. The two were actually high-school sweethearts.

Unfortunately, it's been reported that Lilly is "heartbroken" over the breakup and Ethan's new famous girlfriend. Understandably, she believes that he has abandoned their young family. A source close to Ariana and Ethan reportedly responded to that by saying, "It's understandable that emotions are high and it's hard seeing your ex move on, especially in such a public way, and her friends are trying to protect her. But Ari and Ethan are just trying to lay low and be respectful of their exes as they pursue this new relationship."

Also, Ariana's team claims that the couple didn't start dating until both sides were "separated" from their significant other.

At this point, it's unclear what caused the end of Ethan's marriage, but sources close to Ariana have said her relationship with Dalton Gomez was strained due to it being long distance. "She was happy in Los Angeles for a couple of years. She wanted to make a life there with Dalton," a source told People. Adding, "He is super focused on his career and needs to live in Los Angeles. It's definitely been an issue for them. Dalton's career is demanding and he can't leave Los Angeles often. So when she started filming Wicked in England, they were in for a long-distance marriage."

At this point, a judge in New York will decide how to proceed with two competing divorce cases.