Ariana Grande‘s reunion with ex-boyfriend Ricky Alvarez seems to be steadily getting more serious, judging by her latest move on social media.
Ariana rose to fame as a teen star on the Nickelodeon shows “Victorious” and “Sam & Cat” before becoming a major force in R&B/Pop music. She served as a coach on “The Voice” in the fall of 2021.
On Wednesday, August 12, the 33-year-old pop star include a photo of her and Ricky in a Carousel of photos she shared with her fans.
The first two shots in the series of snaps, which can be scrolled through by clicking on the small arrow on middle right, show Ari embracing one of her dogs. But the 12th slide became more romantic, showing Ariana and Ricky standing side-by-side in a mirror. The 35-year-old dancer drapes a tattooed arm around Ariana’s shoulders while she clutches one of his fingers.
In another blurry mirror shot, the “Dangerous Woman” singer faces Ricky and wraps an arm around his waist while he snapped the pic on a phone.
Ariana Grande Recently Changed Song Lyrics During Tour Performances to Acknowledge Ricky
During some stops on the U.S. leg of Ariana’s The Eternal Sunshine Tour over the summer, the vocalist dropped some hints that Ricky is back in her life.
During the June 26 stop of the tour in Austin, Texas, Ricky was spotted in the VIP section interacting with Ariana’s dad, Ed Butera.
While performing her song “Thank U, Next” which references several of her exes, the R&B/Pop princess switched up the line about Ricky to say, “Wrote some songs about Ricky, I know he’s still got my back.” The second half of the line in the original recording says, “Now I listen and laugh.”
The pair formerly dated for around a year before 2015 to 2016 before calling things off, but remaining friendly.
Ariana’s parents seem to be on board with the idea of Ricky’s return, judging by their body language at the concert. Ed was spotted giving him a friendly handshake, while Ariana’s mom Joan Grande playfully acknowledged him by jabbing a thumb in his direction.
Then, at her July 13 show in Brooklyn, New York, Ariana changed the lyric to something even more affectionate. She sang, “We always find our way back.”
Ariana & Ricky Were Spotted Out Together in June
Ahead of a show in June, Ariana was spotted with her former flame in Texas, and the pair was joined by Christian Breslauer, a popular director who has directed several of Ariana’s videos including “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait For Your Love)” and “Hate That I Made You Love Me.”
People reported they were told by a source that Ariana has been “hanging out recently” with Ricky, who was her dancer from around 2014 to 2016.
Then in July, the outlet reported in an exclusive that they were told by a source the pair was “taking things very slowly.” They the source also revealed Ariana feels she can “be herself” around Ricky, and although “they’re not jumping into anything serious right away,” “Ari is happy to have him back in her life.”
