Ariana Grande and Ricky Álvarez have rekindled their romance, with the singer sharing a PDA-filled photo carousel on Instagram that confirms their renewed relationship, according to reports from ELLE and Us Weekly. Grande posted the images on Wednesday, August 12, featuring a mirror selfie where Álvarez has his arm around her while she holds his hand.
Instagram Official Confirmation and Simple Caption
Grande captioned the post with a plant and heart emoji, writing, “🌱 ！ ♡,” while tagging Álvarez in two of the photos, as reported by ELLE. The post marks their first formal social media confirmation since rumors surfaced earlier this summer. The couple previously dated from 2015 to 2016 after meeting on her Honeymoon Tour, where Álvarez worked as a backup dancer.
Romance Rekindled After Tour Sightings and Lyric Changes
Reconciliation rumors began in June when the pair were spotted grabbing a bite together in Texas, according to Us Weekly. Álvarez subsequently attended Grande’s Eternal Sunshine Tour in Austin, where concertgoers noted she altered the lyrics to her 2018 track “Thank U, Next.” Instead of singing the original line about laughing while listening to songs written about him, she sang that she knows he still has her back. The following month, the two were seen running errands together at a Whole Foods in Boca Raton, Florida.
Moving Slowly With a Long History
A source told ELLE in July that the pair are taking things very slowly as they resume their relationship. The insider noted that Grande has always considered Álvarez a dependable, trustworthy, and supportive friend who shares her dry sense of humor. Another source told Us Weekly that their reunion is the real deal and far from a rebound, explaining that their shared history allowed them to fall back into a relationship organically.