Does Lilly Jay have a PHD? Psychology degree explored as Ethan Slater's ex-wife essay on their divorce goes viral

Wicked star Ethan Slater’s ex-wife Lilly Jay wrote an op-ed essay for The Cut on December 19 titled "How Does My Divorce Make You Feel?" following their public divorce. The article’s release comes in the midst of the movie’s endless promotions.

Jay is now sharing her side of the story as the relationship timeline of Slater and Ariana Grande remains heavily debated, with followers speculating about Slater and Grande cheating on their now ex-partners.

Ethan Slater and Lill Jay tied the knot in November 2018 after being high school sweethearts. They are parents to a baby boy. News of their marriage ending made headlines in July 2023, the same time rumors of Slater dating Grande made headlines.

Lilly Jay, a clinical psychologist specializing in women’s health, wrote in The Cut:

“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. In this season of shock and mourning, over a year after the end of my marriage was made public, I deeply miss the life of invisibility I created for myself as a psychologist specializing in women’s health.”

Lilly Jay majored in law and social thought through Amherst College. According to her LinkedIn, she pursued a degree in psychology through Columbia University. She went on to earn her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Long Island University in 2020.

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Lilly Jay revealed that she survived preeclampsia in her The Cut op-ed

Lilly Jay revealed in the op-ed that she suffered from preeclampsia, a life-threatening birth complication. She, Slater, and their son moved to England when the newborn was just two months old, where Slater would film Wicked.

Speaking about life post giving birth, Jay said:

“We had done it… I survived preeclampsia, a life-threatening birth complication, and finally, our family was whole. Mine is a story of worrying in the wrong direction… I confidently moved to another country with my 2-month-old baby and my husband to support his career. Consumed by the magic and mundanity of new motherhood, I didn’t understand the growing distance between us.”

Jay claimed in an exclusive Page Six in July 2023 that Ariana Grande played a role in the end of her marriage with Slater. After Slater filed for divorce, Jay told the news outlet:

“[Ariana’s] the story really. Not a girl’s girl. My family is just collateral damage.”

Lilly Jay discussed what her new life was like with her son and Slater with The Cut. She said:

“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. While our partnership has changed, our parenthood has not. Both of us fiercely love our son 100 percent of the time, regardless of how our parenting time is divided.”

News of the affair also broke out weeks after Grande’s separation from real estate agent Dalton Gomez, who she was married to for two years.

Neither Ethan Slater nor Ariana Grande had publicly addressed the op-ed at the time of writing this article.