Ariana Grande stopped letting fans guess.
On Wednesday, Aug. 12, the pop star shared a photo dump on Instagram that finally answered the question everyone had been asking since June. Ricky Alvarez, her former backup dancer and on-again love interest, was right there in the pictures.
For weeks the internet had been piecing together clues. Now there was nothing left to speculate about.
The Photos That Said It All
The carousel Grande posted was full of her usual mix, snapshots from various occasions, low key moments, everyday life. But two photos with Alvarez stood out from the rest.
In one, Grande and Alvarez posed for a mirror selfie in coordinating outfits, their faces cut out of frame but his arm clearly wrapped around her shoulder, their hands linked.
The second was blurrier and more playful, an upside down mirror shot with Alvarez holding the camera while Grande turned toward him.
It was a small gesture by celebrity standards, just two photos buried in a bigger post. But for two people who have been the subject of reunion rumors for almost two months, it landed like a headline.
How We Got Here
Grande and Alvarez are not new to each other. The two dated from 2015 to 2016 before going their separate ways, though they reportedly stayed close in the years after.
The reconciliation chatter kicked off when Alvarez was spotted with Grande in Austin, Texas, on June 26. Later that night, he showed up at her tour stop in the city and was seen watching from the crowd.
Weeks later, he was spotted again dancing in the audience during her Brooklyn show while she performed her 2024 track “Imperfect for You.” Days before that show, Grande gave him a nod during “Thank U, Next,” swapping in a new line that fans immediately connected to Alvarez.
The timing lined up with another major shift in Grande’s personal life. She had recently split from actor Ethan Slater, whom she met while filming the “Wicked” movies.
What Insiders Have Been Saying
According to People, a source close to Grande said in early July that Ricky has always been a friend and confidant to her, and that she genuinely trusts him. The source described him as someone who brings positive energy and makes her laugh.
A separate insider told the outlet in mid-July that the two were taking things very slowly, explaining that Grande never held any bad feelings toward Alvarez after their original split and has always seen him as dependable and easy to be herself around. The source added that nothing was moving fast, but that Grande was glad to have him back in her life.
That slow and steady approach seems to be exactly what led to Wednesday’s low key but unmistakable announcement.
What’s Next
Neither Grande nor Alvarez has said anything publicly beyond the photos themselves. No caption calling out the relationship, no big declaration, just two people showing up in each other’s pictures the way couples do.
There’s also a bigger change coming for Grande. Once her Eternal Sunshine Tour wraps up in September, she is reportedly planning to step back from the spotlight for a while.
For a pop star who has had her personal life picked apart in public for over a decade, letting the photos speak for themselves might be the whole point, especially with quieter days ahead.
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