Ariana Grande Faces 'Evil' Backlash Over Viral Photos of Ethan Slater's Son

Ariana Grande has come under renewed scrutiny online after photos of Ethan Slater's ex-wife, Dr. Lilly Jay, spending Christmas with their young son resurfaced and circulated widely on social media. The images have sparked fresh criticism from fans, some of whom accused the singer of contributing to Slater's absence during the festive period.

The photos, which show Jay out with her son Ezra during the holidays, began trending again in recent days. In the images, the clinical psychologist is seen pushing a buggy through snowy streets and holding a cup of coffee in her hands.

Although the photographs date back to 2024, their reappearance has fuelled renewed debate across social platforms. As the images spread, some social media users directed criticism towards Grande, accusing her of interfering in Slater's family life. Others questioned why Ezra appeared to be spending Christmas without his father, with online reactions ranging from sympathy to outright condemnation.

However, several users were quick to point out that the photos were not taken this year and do not necessarily reflect the family's current arrangements.

Old Images, New Reactions

Despite the clarification around the timing of the photos, the backlash continued. For some fans, the emotional weight of the images was enough to reignite criticism, regardless of when they were taken.

A lot of comments are being made on the situation across platforms, some calling the singer 'evil'. Some expressed sadness over the situation, while others argued that personal family matters were being unfairly dissected in public.

Slater was previously married to Jay, his high school sweetheart, from 2018 until their divorce was finalised in 2024. The former couple share a son and are understood to be co-parenting. While neither Slater nor Jay has publicly discussed the circumstances of their split in detail, speculation has continued online.

Grande's own personal life has also been the subject of attention in recent years, as the singer separated from her former husband, Dalton Gomez, in 2024. Online, fans speculate Grande was the reason for Slater's split with his ex-wife. The pair met while working on Wicked, in which Grande stars as Glinda and Slater plays Boq.

Romance Under the Spotlight

Grande and Slater's relationship has continued to attract attention as they make occasional public appearances and share glimpses of their lives online. Slater has posted images of Grande on social media in recent months, including moments showing him supporting her during her recent Saturday Night Live hosting appearance.

During the Christmas period, Slater shared festive posts on his Instagram Stories, featuring Grande spending time with friends and her dog. The images were captioned 'Very merry holidays', with Grande later resharing some of the posts, signalling that they spent part of the festive season together

While some fans defended the couple, noting that co-parenting arrangements can vary and that assumptions should not be made based on social media images, others continued to criticise Grande, framing her as responsible for the situation. As the photos circulate online, their reappearance has reignited discussion around Grande and Slater's relationship.