Ethan Slater's wife breaks silence on divorce, 'Wicked' press tour with Ariana Grande

Lilly Jay, ex-wife of actor Ethan Slater, is getting candid about their "sudden" and highly publicized split, which included a rumored dating scandal with pop star Ariana Grande.

Jay, a clinical psychologist specializing in women's mental health, opened up about the divorce in an essay for The Cut published Thursday.

"No one gets married thinking they'll get divorced, in the same way we don't board a plane expecting to crash. But I really never thought I would get divorced," Jay writes. "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."

Last summer, Jay and Slater found themselves at the center of an alleged scandal involving Slater's "Wicked" co-star Grande after reports surfaced that the pair began dating amid breakups with their respective spouses (Grande was previously married to Dalton Gomez). Jay told Page Six at the time that Grande was "not a girl’s girl" and that her family was "just collateral damage."

Jay and Slater share a son, who was reportedly 11 months old at the time news of their separation broke.

"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," Jay wrote in the essay.

Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater drama: The internet is furious at Ariana Grande. What that says about us.

Lilly Jay seemingly calls out emotional impact of 'Wicked' success

Despite the "sudden public downfall" of her marriage to Slater, Jay maintains in her Cut essay that the pair prioritizes the parenting of their son.

"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," Jay writes. "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."

Jay seemingly alluded to the commercial success of Slater and Grande's latest film "Wicked." The musical fantasy, an adaptation of the iconic Broadway musical of the same name, has grossed $531.3 million to date and earned the biggest opening weekend for a film based on a Broadway show.

"As for me, days with my son are sunny," Jay writes. "Days when I can't escape the promotion of a movie associated with the saddest days of my life are darker."

'Wicked' review: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande are fantastic as witchy BFFs

Jay and Slater reportedly finalized their divorce in September. The psychologist concludes her essay by musing about the impact her high-profile breakup could have on her practice, reframing the swirl of media attention as an "opportunity" to connect with patients.

"Maybe we can think about my messy not-so-personal life in that way: a dose of my own loss, rage, powerlessness, sadness that helps me hold yours," Jay writes. "I cannot resolve the incongruity of a career in helping others prepare for the exquisite fragility and beauty of pregnancy and postpartum and then having my own world upended.

"But I can start hearing myself when I tell patients that avoidance maintains fear, and maybe it's time to accept that I'm not unknown anymore."

Contributing: David Oliver, USA TODAY; Lisa Richwine and Dawn Chmielewski, Reuters

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ethan Slater's ex addresses divorce, alleged Ariana Grande scandal