Ariana Grande goes Instagram official with her ex-boyfriend

Ariana Grande has gone Instagram official with her ex-boyfriend, Ricky Alvarez.

The pair dated from 2015 to 2016, with speculation that they had rekindled their romance in June 2026. The new relationship comes at a time of major health concerns for the star.

The singer took to the social media platform on Thursday, August 13 to share a dump of 20 images, two of which were loved-up snaps with Alvarez.

The first was a mirror snap with his arm wrapped around her shoulders. While their heads were cut from the image, Grande made it clear who her new beau was by tagging Alvarez on the image.

The second picture was a mirror selfie of the pair hugging, Grande appearing to wear a pair of blue fairy wings.

Following their 2016 split, it’s been reported that Alvarez remained close with the Grande family.

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The pair were spotted together in Austin, Texas in June 2026 ahead of Grande’s Eternal Sunshine Tour stop in the city.

Speculation about the couple’s relationship only grew when Grande began changing the lyrics to her song Thank U Next on multiple tour stops.

The line she continued to change was about Alvarez. While it originally was “Wrote some songs about Ricky / Now I listen and laugh.” Grande instead chose to sing, “Wrote some songs about Ricky / I know he’s still got my back.”

On a later tour stop, she changed the lyric again, singing, “Wrote some songs about Ricky / We always find our way back.”

Multiple US outlets soon began reporting that sources close to the couple had confirmed their rekindled romance as more paparazzi pictures of the pair began to circulate.

Then, on July 27, Grande soft-launched the relationship by posting a Polaroid image of herself and tagging Alvarez in the picture, seemingly giving him credit for taking it.

It doesn’t come as a surprise to grande’s fans that, following her split from Wicked co-star Ethan Slater, she and Alvarez have rekindled their romance.

The pair have remained close over the years, once sparking rumours that they may have reunited following the release of Thank U Next in 2018.

Alvarez shared a video of himself reacting to the song to his Instagram story, writing, “Nothing but gratitude. Thank you, next... (those songs are fire tho... you’re welcome).

Grande then reposted the story, writing, “HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAH IM SORRY U GOT THE WORST LINE. It was meant v lovingly.”

The pair first met in 2014 when Alvarez was hired as Grande’s backup dancer.

They began dating in 2015 whilst on Grande’s Honeymoon Tour, then quietly split around a year later, remaining on friendly terms.