Ariana Grande has confirmed her relationship with dancer and photographer Ricky Alvarez, whom she initially dated over a decade ago before they parted ways in 2016.
On Wednesday, Grande shared a carousel of photographs, including one in which the pair appear to be wearing matching white tops with Alvarez's hand over the singer's shoulder. Their faces are cropped out of the photograph, but Grande tagged Alvarez, who then reshared it on his Instagram story.
Alvarez was a backup dancer for the singer's Honeymoon tour, with the pair reportedly dating until 2016. Following their split, Grande namedropped him in her 2018 song, Thank U, Next and sang about how she "wrote some songs about Ricky, now I listen and laugh". She appeared to have changed the lyrics during one of her shows earlier this summer as part of her Eternal Sunshine tour, replacing the second line with "We always find our way back".
Fan reactions to the confirmation
"She probably feels so free finally being able to post her partner," said one fan. A second went on to note that Ariana didn't post her ex-boyfriend, Ethan Slater, in the same way, adding: "I'm crying she never posted Ethan Slater like this at all Ricky is here to stay honey."
"They both look so good," commented a third. As a fourth went on to type: "Re-dating the guy who inspired 'Thank U, Next' is legendary plot-twist writing, honestly." "This relationship is so chic," wrote another.
Grande later teased their relationship in a carousel, tagging him in a Polaroid of herself. It comes days after the singer announced she will take a break from public life after she wraps up her current tour.
Upcoming break from public life
Ariana previously announced that she would step back from the spotlight after completing her 10-night residency at The O2, which will bring an end to her Eternal Sunshine tour. The pop princess will kick off her residency on August 15, before completing her shows on September 1. She's also withdrawn from the upcoming theatre production of Stephen Sondheim's Sunday In The Park With George, which was set to see her star opposite her Wicked co-star, Jonathan Bailey.
Addressing her decision to take a break, she told fans in Chicago: "Sometimes when a story comes out that's not directly from me, things can get a little blown out of proportion, so I wanted to speak to my fans directly tonight because I love you so much. So basically, the announcement that was made yesterday was not a reactive or impulsive thing. It is something that I had decided, it's a plan that I had quietly made a long time ago, and it's a decision that was made from a thoughtful and empowered place."
"And I want you to know that many, many things can be true at the same time. I want to share this because I heard that, I heard that my fans were worried that negativity was ruining things for me. But I just have to say that could not be more than the opposite.
"I promise you, this is not what that is. And I just want to be very, very clear. Nothing can ruin... Multiple things can be true at the same time. Bound- Boundaries can need to be set. Human beings can need a break sometimes."
"And also, this can be, and will continue to be, the greatest experience of my professional and creative life, and nothing is getting in the way of that, or will get in the way of that. So, I just wanted to make that quite plain." She went on to add that despite "what noises exist," nothing will be able to "distort" the reality or "be real to me or louder to me than this love that we share, or even how it feels to make art with the people that I love and respect."
While reading from her phone, Ariana continued to say: "This is what I will always take with me and carry with me, because the rest of that shit is not mine to carry, so I don't carry it. And I wanted you to hear that from me." Before returning to her performance, Ariana went on to say that she "needed" to "differentiate that from my truth for all of you," adding: "I love you and this tour has been the most healing, beautiful, corrective, magnificent, special experience of my life."
