Ariana Grande Giving BF Ethan Slater Space To Work Out Issues With Estranged Wife

Ariana Grande hasn't seen her boyfriend Ethan Slater in person for awhile ... because he's preoccupied with his estranged wife and their divorce, and she's giving him space to work things out.

.Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Ariana and her 'Wicked' costar haven't been in the same city for several weeks. Ethan's currently in New York, trying to navigate the end of his marriage with estranged wife, Lilly Jay.

Our sources say Ariana is coming to Los Angeles this weekend. We're told she and Ethan want to see each other, but that's not in the cards for the immediate future.

Ethan's got a lot to work out with Lilly ... they share a child together and, as we first reported, he "desperately" wants to co-parent their baby son. We've been told Ethan and Lilly have been talking daily, mostly about their little boy.

Remember ... Ariana and Ethan started dating several months ago while filming 'Wicked' together, a romance that came as a surprise to Lilly, who is feeling betrayed and heartbroken.

To be clear, sources close to Ariana and Ethan have maintained they were both split from their spouses -- Dalton Gomez and Lilly -- when they first got together.

Ethan's since filed for divorce ... and divorce docs are on the horizon for Ariana and Dalton.