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Ariana Grande and Ricky Alvarez dated from 2015 to 2016 after meeting on their honeymoon tour. The former couple has remained friends for years after their breakup. On July 14, People and TMZ revealed that the two were dating again.
Nearly a decade after ending their relationship, Ariana Grande and Ricky Alvarez are back in the public eye.
The former couple were recently spotted spending time together in Texas and Florida during Grande’s Eternal Sunshine Tour, sparking rumors that they are back together. Grande also made multiple changes to Ricky’s lyrics for “Thank U, Next,” which led fans to suspect that their romance had been rekindled.
On July 14th, People and TMZ confirmed the reopening, but things are moving slowly. “Ariana always considered Ricky a friend,” a source told People. “She has no ill will toward him[since their breakup]. Ricky is dependable, trustworthy, and very supportive. Ariana feels like she can be herself around Ricky.”
Grande and Alvarez met as backup dancers on their 2015 Honeymoon tour. The two dated for about a year before breaking up in 2016, but have maintained a friendly relationship ever since.
Below is a complete timeline of everything we know about Ariana Grande and Ricky Alvarez’s relationship.
2015
Grande and Alvarez met while working as backup dancers on her honeymoon tour. They started dating that year.
May 2016
Grande spoke briefly about their relationship in a Billboard cover story.
“We are happy,” she said. “I’m a very happy girl. I’m living a healthy life now. I think that’s all anyone wants to know. It’s over.”
The article also included a comment from Grande’s friend Victoria Monet, who shared that “Moonlight” was inspired by the beginning of Grande and Alvarez’s relationship.
“Ricky called her one night,” Monet said. “I think it was after their first kiss. He had been waiting to kiss her for a long time and she was really impressed. He’s such a gentleman and this song is a great little bookmark to mark the beginning of their relationship.”
July 2016
Multiple media outlets have reported that Grande and Alvarez have ended their relationship after dating for about a year.
November 2018
Grande referenced Alvarez in her hit single “Thank U Next,” singing, “I wrote some songs about Ricky / Now I’m listening and laughing.”
After the song’s release, Alvarez shared a video of himself reacting to the lyrics on his Instagram Stories.
“I have nothing but gratitude,” he wrote. “Thank you, next…(those songs are amazing…but you’re welcome)”
Grande reposted her story and joked about the lyrics herself.
“Hahahahahahahaha, sorry, I said the worst line. I meant it with love.”
Fans then speculated that the two had reunited after an exchange on Instagram, but Grande herself denied the rumors in a comment on one of Alvarez’s posts.
“We are friends who can all breathe a sigh of relief,” she wrote.
June 2026
Years later, Grande and Alvarez were photographed together in Austin, Texas, prior to a stop on the Eternal Sunshine Tour. Photos circulating online showed Grande dining with a group while celebrating her birthday in the city.
According to TMZ, sources familiar with the situation said Alvarez was one of several friends who spent time with Grande, and that the outing was purely platonic. People magazine also reported that the two have been “hanging out a lot lately.”
During the Austin concert, Grande also made notable changes to Ricky’s lyrics for “Thank U, Next.”
Earlier in the week, she sang: “I wrote some songs about Ricky/But they kind of slap.” In another performance, she changed her lines again, singing, “I wrote some songs about Ricky/I know he still has my back.”
July 2026
According to TMZ, over the Fourth of July weekend, Grande and Alvarez were photographed shopping together at a Whole Foods in Boca Raton, Florida, before heading off to celebrate the holiday with Grande’s family.
The outing comes after Grande finished three sold-out shows on her Eternal Sunshine Tour at nearby Sunrise.
The next day, People published more details about their friendship, citing sources who said Alvarez was participating in part of Grande’s tour.
“She’s having a great time on tour. She loves having her closest friends join her for parts of the tour,” the source said. “Ricky has always been a friend and a confidant. She really trusts him. He has such great, positive energy and makes her laugh. And she enjoys spending time with him.”
The source also addressed Grande’s life after breaking up with Ethan Slater.
“Her relationship with Ethan is 100 percent over. She is focused on touring and spending time with the people who have always helped her,” the source said. “Ariana is really enjoying reuniting with her fans and loves being on stage.”
A week later, on July 13, Grande herself fueled rumors of a reunion. She changed the lyrics of Ricky’s “Thank U Next” again during a performance in Brooklyn, singing, “I wrote some songs about Ricky / We always find our way back.”
Hours later, on July 14, sources confirmed to People and TMZ that the two were officially dating again. Officials told both media outlets that they are taking things very slowly.
“They aren’t in anything serious right away, but Ali is happy to have him back in her life,” a source told People. The source added that they “have similar, smart, dry senses of humor.”
