Ariana Grande and Ricky Alvarez rekindle romance after tour and Universal Studios outing

Ariana Grande and Ricky Alvarez are back in the spotlight as a couple after a series of public outings during her tour and a date at Universal Studios, where they were seen exchanging affectionate gestures. Their public encounters and concert lyric changes have fueled speculation about the revival of a relationship that began more than a decade ago.

As Harper’s Bazaar reports, the pair have known each other since 2015, when Alvarez was hired as a backup dancer for Grande’s Honeymoon Tour and they began a romance. He became the inspiration for the song “Moonlight” from the Dangerous Woman album, and the relationship ended in 2016. Later, Grande mentioned Alvarez in her 2018 song “thank u, next”; his reaction on social media and Grande’s reposts showed a pleasant relationship between them even after the split.

During this summer’s Eternal Sunshine tour, they reappeared publicly together in several cities: in Austin they were photographed together and Grande repeatedly changed a lyric for Ricky during “thank u, next”; in early July they spent time in Florida and on July 13, at the Brooklyn concert, Grande sang a version suggesting a rekindling of the relationship. After these signs, images showing them together in public places revealed the relationship was slowly and carefully restarting.

In August, Grande made the relationship visible on Instagram by sharing photos with Alvarez, while in early September during the tour’s final stop in London she changed the lyric again, saying she was trying to make it the last one. On September 5, Alvarez shared backstage photos from the tour, including one of Grande kissing his hand backstage, and on September 24 they were seen exchanging kisses and other signs of affection during a dinner at Universal Studios.

According to Harper’s Bazaar, the public exchanges, concert lyric changes and social media posts show that Grande and Alvarez’s relationship has entered a renewed and quieter phase, with the public outings confirming a relationship in the making.