Is love once again in the air for Ariana Grande and Ricky Alvarez?
In a surprising update shared by Page Six on Friday, June 26, it was reported that the We Can’t Be Friends singer – whose breakup from Ethan Slater recently made headlines – was spotted hanging out with her ex-boyfriend Alvarez earlier in the day.
The former flames were photographed spending time at a high-end restaurant in Austin, Texas, where they were seen smiling and engaged in a delightful conversation ahead of Grande’s Eternal Sunshine Tour concert in the city.
Speaking about the two, a source told PEOPLE, "They've been hanging out recently.”
However, there is no romantic involvement between the 33-year-old American singer and her choreographer ex-boyfriend as a separate insider told TMZ that their outing was “simply hanging out with friends for her 33rd birthday” and “there is nothing romantic between Ariana and Ricky this time around.”
One more tipster shared that Grande was also seen taking photos with fans during the outing.
Ariana Grande and Ricky Alvarez
From 2015 to July 2016, Ariana Grande was in a year-long romantic relationship with Ricky Alvarez, who was one of her backup dancers on the Honeymoon Tour.
Opening up about her romance in May 2016, the Wicked actress shared to Billboard, “We’re happy. I'm a very happy girl. I have a healthy life right now, and I think that's all anyone cares to know. The end."
However, the couple parted ways just two months later in July, and since then have maintained a friendship.
It is worth mentioning that this is not the first time Grande and Alvarez have sparked dating buzz after being spotted hanging out together as back in 2019, the two were seen spending time with each other in New York City, igniting romance buzz.
But shortly after the rumors emerged, The Boy is Mine singer shut down the speculation by stating, “Spoiler for the rest of this year / probably my life: [I’m dating] no one,” in a since-deleted X post.
She has also referenced Ricky Alvarez in her 2019 track Thank U, Next.
“Wrote some songs about Ricky / Now I listen and laugh,” she said at the time.
Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater split
Ariana Grande’s new outing with her ex-boyfriend Ricky Alvarez comes just weeks after news of her breakup from Ethan Slater emerged.
The songstress began dating her Wicked costar Slater in July 2023 after meeting him on the set and made their romance Instagram official more than a year later in November 2024.
After multiple reports speculating their split, a shocking update made headlines earlier this month on June 8, 2026, that the couple called it quits on their relationship several months ago after dating for three years.
An insider told TMZ that Grande and Slater took the decision after carefully thinking about it and are still friends.
"It’s amicable, they gave lots of time and careful consideration and decided to go their separate ways. They are still friends and very supportive of one another. They have been quietly broken up for several months,” they noted.
Additionally, it was also shared that the Into You singer is “doing great” following the split and is focused on her Eternal Sunshine Tour, which kicked off over the weekend on June 6, 2026.
Ariana Grande has also been focused on the upcoming release of her eighth studio album, Petal, slated to come out on July 31.
