Watch: Did Ariana Grande Confirm Her Relationship Status With Ricky Álvarez? Why Fans Think So
Although they’ve been friends for a minute, here’s further proof that Ricky Álvarez is Ariana Grande’s forever boy.
Indeed, the 33-year-old appeared to give a small glimpse at her rekindled romance with her former backup dancer, whom she dated from 2015 to 2016.
As she gears up to release her upcoming eighth album Petal, Grande posted a carousel of recent moments, including a clip of herself clinking olives with Álvarez. She captioned the July 27 Instagram, “petal season continued …….. !”
Following her breakup with Wicked costar Ethan Slater, the “Knew Better/Forever Boy” singer has been spending time with the 35-year-old, even referencing their rumored reconciliation on her Eternal Sunshine tour.
During various performances of her hit breakup anthem “thank u next,” which references several of her past relationships, Grande has changed the lyric about Álvarez, which typically goes, “Wrote some songs about Ricky / Now I listen and laugh.” During her June 24 show in Austin, Texas, she instead sang the second half as, “And they still really slap.”
And it didn’t stop there, as she changed the line at her birthday show in Austin on June 26 to be, “I know he still got my back.” Fans got one more variation during her Brooklyn, New York, show on July 13, when she changed it to, “We always find our way back.”
Throughout her tour, Álvarez has been supporting her, attending various shows and even hanging out with Grande’s parents Edward Butera and Joan Grande in the crowd at one concert.
Jun Sato/GC Images
Despite the shoutouts to her ex, Grande has kept her renewed relationship with Álvarez under wraps. While she doesn’t feel the need to defend herself online these days, she has recently opened up about how it feels to read rumors about her personal life.
“It’ll never be unpainful,” she told The Hollywood Reporter in February 2025. “But also, I walk with the awareness that I’m an artist and this is a path that I’ve chosen, and so I just try to protect myself so that I never start to resent the art.”
While Grande may be more comfortable with a soft launch, other celebs are less shy about flaunting their romances on main. Read on to see some recent famous hard launches…
Zara McDermott/Instagram
Instagram/Luke Newton
BACKGRID
“I feel so lucky to be 30!” the supermodel captioned the Instagram post. “I feel so lucky for every high and low- for all the lessons and gifts both have brought me. To get to feel it all! I’m so lucky to be a mom, friend, partner, sister, daughter, colleague to some of the most unbelievable humans!!”
The couple first started dating in 2023, but they only recently went public with it when Gigi told Vogue in a March 11 interview that their relationship is “very romantic and happy.”
Instagram/Ice Spice
Relationship rumors between the “Barbie World” rapper and New York Jets player began swirling when Ice Spice attended a Jets game in September. The couple have been spotted out together since then, including at the 2025 Vanity Fair Oscars Party.
Instagram/Lucas Bravo
Their getaway comes one month after Lucas confirmed their relationship, telling People that, “I’m really happy.”
The Big Little Lies actress was first suspected to be dating Lucas when photographed on a romantic stroll in Paris, France, his arms wrapped around her while holding hands.
GAMR/Khrome / BACKGRID
“Happy life to the handsomest, kindest, funniest, stoopidest most gorgeous human ever,” she captioned the Instagram story. “Merci for making life more beautiful.”
Instagram/Madelaine Petsch
The duo first sparked romance rumors in February when they sat courtside at the Los Angeles Lakers vs. Charlotte Hornets basketball game on Feb. 19. Later that month, they also attended Vanity Fair’s Instagram Young Hollywood party together.
Mike Marsland/WireImage
The duo sparked romance rumors during the All Points East music festival last summer, with speculating fueling months later following an outing in London.
Instagram/Sam Asghari
Katie Maloney / Instagram
Despite keeping his identity hidden before the celebratory Instagram story, she previously shared with fans that she was in love.
“I have a boyfriend,” Katie revealed in an October episode of her costar Dana Kathan’s podcast Disrespectfully. “He just makes me feel really special, and he’s really special.”
In a photo dump captioned his “week in review,” Joe shared some photos from his celebration with the Winning Time actress, including a sweet selfie of her standing in front of flowers and a heart-shaped box of candy.
Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
The two were first spotted kissing on a date one month earlier in Hollywood, and now, the two are engaged. She confirmed as much in September by responding to a post on X that read, “Halsey says she hopes to marry boyfriend Avan Jogia.”
As for her edits, she simply wrote, “***fiancé Avan Jogia.”
More than a year later, the duo, who share son Roman Russell, tied the knot in a July 2024 ceremony in Scotland, though she later revealed they had legally married earlier that year in January.
“Just to have that little something for us,” Jana, mom to Jolie Caussin and Jace Caussin with ex Mike Caussin, explained in a March 2025 episode of her Whine Down podcast, “that was special to us, that we didn’t announce to everybody.”
The ”We Don’t Talk Anymore” singer posted a picture with Brooke Sansone for his 31st birthday. “Ohhhhh I’m NOT a loser… ‘cause I didn’t lose her!!!”, he wrote under the pictures of the duo kissing in a photobooth. “(Happy birthday to me.)”
The duo went on to tie the knot in September 2024.
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App
