Is Ariana Grande Rekindling Things With Ex Ricky Alvarez?
Ariana Grande has reportedly reconnected with an old flame. The pop star and former backup dancer Ricky Alvarez were spotted leaving a Whole Foods together in Boca Raton, Florida, on July 4, sparking speculation that the two exes are growing close again. "They've always shared a close bond," an insider says of Grande, 33, and Alvarez, 34, noting that the pair drifted apart while she was dating Ethan Slater but have since reconnected. "Ariana is grateful to have him in her life right now, and he's been a huge source of support," the source adds.
Grande and Alvarez first met in 2015 when he joined her Honeymoon Tour as a backup dancer. They began dating that April and split in July 2016. Grande later immortalized him in her 2018 single "Thank U, Next," singing "Wrote some songs about Ricky, now I listen and laugh" — a lyric she has since softened. During a stop on her Eternal Sunshine Tour in Austin, Texas, on June 26, she changed the line to "Wrote some songs about Ricky, I know he still got my back."
Grande has previously said Alvarez took the original dig in stride, recalling that he joked, "Why did I get the worst line?" She has moved through several high-profile relationships since their split, including Mac Miller from 2016 to 2018, a brief engagement to Pete Davidson in 2018, and a marriage to Dalton Gomez from 2020 to 2024. She most recently dated her "Wicked" costar Ethan Slater, with the pair confirming an amicable split in June after two years together. "They gave lots of time and careful consideration and decided to go their separate ways," a source said of the breakup. "They are still friends and very supportive of one another."
Alvarez's dating life since Grande has not been publicly reported.
