Ariana Grande seemingly confirmed that she was back together with her on-and-off-again boyfriend, Ricky Alvarez, after sharing photos of him on Instagram on Wednesday.
The 33-year-old, who split from her Wicked co-star Ethan Slater in 2026 after almost three years together, has been dropping hints about her new relationship with Ricky, whom she dated from 2015 to 2016.
Ariana’s new romance
Ricky served as one of her backup dancers on the 2015 Honeymoon Tour, and the duo remained friends after their breakup.
The 35-year-old was featured in two photos in Ariana’s Instagram carousel, including a mirror selfie of the pair from the chest down, with Ricky’s arm slung around her shoulders, and a blurry photo of the singer with fairy wings on, turning towards Ricky as he snapped a picture.
© InstagramShe tagged him in both photos, seemingly confirming that they were dating again.
Public appearances
Ricky has been seen out and about with Ariana in recent weeks, including at a Whole Foods in Boca Raton, Florida, in July.
Learn more about Ariana’s ex Ethan Slater below…
He has also made an appearance at her Eternal Sunshine Tour show in Austin, where he was seen dancing in the audience with Ariana’s brother, Frankie Grande.
The pop star addressed her 2015 romance with Ricky in her smash hit 2018 track “Thank U, Next”, singing: “Wrote some songs about Ricky/Now I listen and laugh.”
She changed this lyric at her Austin show, instead singing: “Wrote some songs about Ricky/I know he’s still got my back.”
She also switched it up at a previous show, with the lyrics: “Wrote some songs about Ricky/And they still kinda slap.” On July 13, Ariana made another change, singing: “Wrote some songs about Ricky/We always find our way back.”
© GC ImagesHeartbreaking split
Ariana previously dated Broadway star Ethan Slater, with the pair meeting on the set of Wicked. Ethan was married with a child at the time, and Ariana was married to real estate broker Dalton Gomez.
Ariana quietly split from Dalton in February 2023 after almost two years of marriage, and Ethan split from his wife in July 2023 before going on to date the Grammy winner. The couple kept an incredibly low profile throughout their relationship, and broke things off in 2026 before Ariana was spotted spending time with Ricky.
© GettyResponding to scrutiny
Ariana has been under intense scrutiny in recent months after she appeared frail during her Eternal Sunshine Tour, sparking concern from her legion of fans.
Her team released a statement in the wake of the media attention that read: “Ariana will be taking a step back from visibility after she completes the Eternal Sunshine Tour.”
© Instagram“She looks forward to finishing the tour and ending it on a high note, both healthily and happily, and then taking a much-deserved break from public-facing work and appearances, which has led to endless, ongoing public scrutiny.”
“This tour has been a beautiful experience for her. She loves her fans and has loved every minute of this tour so much,” the statement concluded.
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