Ariana Grande and her ex-boyfriend, Ricky Alvarez, are giving their romance another shot.
A source close to the couple confirmed to People that their relationship is back on, adding that the popstar and her former backup dancer are “taking things very slowly.”
“Ariana has always considered Ricky a friend,” they said. “She’s not held ill will against him [since their split]. Ricky is dependable, trustworthy and very supportive. Ariana feels she can be herself around Ricky.”
The source added: “They’re not jumping into anything serious right away, but Ari is happy to have him back in her life.”
News of their reignited romance comes after weeks of speculation, sparked in part by Grande’s recent renditions of her hit “thank u, next” during her ongoing Eternal Sunshine Tour. The song notoriously namedrops Alvarez as well as some of Grande’s other famous exes, including Pete Davidson, Big Sean and the late Mac Miller.
In the original version, Grande croons: “Wrote some songs about Ricky/ Now I listen and laugh.” But, during her Monday concert, she instead sang: “Wrote some songs about Ricky / We always find our way back.”
It’s not the first time the Grammy winner has tweaked her lyrics for her former flame. During a concert on June 27, she went with: “Wrote some songs about Ricky/ He’s still got my back.”
Grande and Alvarez started dating in 2015, and they split the following year in July 2016. They connected during her Honeymoon Tour, when Alvarez served as her backup dancer. Following their breakup, the “Dangerous Woman” singer went on to date Miller and Davidson before tying the knot with Dalton Gomez in May 2021. They finalized their divorce in March 2024, and Grande quickly began dating her “Wicked” co-star, Ethan Slater.
Their split was confirmed last month.