Ariana Grande and former dancer Ricky Alvarez’s recent romantic reunion is “the real deal,” a source exclusively tells Us Weekly.
“Ricky is far from a rebound,” the insider says, noting that Grande, 33, and her last boyfriend, Wicked costar Ethan Slater, broke up “long before the public knew about it.”
Us previously confirmed in June that Grande and Slater, 34, ended their two-year relationship. Within weeks, rumors surfaced that the pop star rekindled her past romance with Alvarez, 35, after he attended several of her recent concerts.
“They’re still newly dating, but because there’s a lot of history there, they were able to fall back into a relationship organically,” the insider adds of Grande and Alvarez. “They’re the real deal.”
Alvarez, who previously danced backup during Grande’s Honeymoon Tour from 2014 to 2015, began dating the Oscar nominee later that year.
“We’re happy,” Grande succinctly told Billboard in 2016. “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.”
Grande and Alvarez’s romance, however, ended later that year.
“Like any breakup, Ariana and Ricky’s wasn’t easy [in 2016], but they were so young,” the source adds. “Once the initial heartbreak wore off, they were able to become friends again and stayed in touch over the years. There were times they were closer than others, but that mutual respect and gratitude remained a constant.”
Following their split, Grande mentioned the photographer on her 2018 hit “Thank U Next,” alongside other exes Big Sean, Pete Davidson and the late Mac Miller.
“Wrote some songs about Ricky / Now I listen and laugh,” she sings about Alvarez.
At the time, Grande revealed that Alvarez approved of the lyrical shout-out.
“Ricky loved it. He was proud. But Ricky was like, ‘Why did I get the worst line?’ And I was like, ‘What do you mean?’” Grande said on the Zach Sang Show in 2019. “He was like, ‘Everyone else’s line is so nice, and mine is like, ‘Man, f*** him, he’s trash.’ I was like, I could have said that. I could’ve said, ‘Wrote some songs about Ricky, never mind he’s trash.’ … But I didn’t. I said, ‘Now I listen and laugh’ ‘cause it didn’t work out.”
Amid their reunion, Alvarez has joined Grande on the road for her Eternal Sunshine Tour, where she’s swapped his “Thank U Next” mention to praise his support.
“Ariana is very happy that Ricky has joined her on tour,” the insider tells Us. “They have a lot of fun together and are always laughing backstage and during downtime. It’s a very easy relationship — just like it was back in the day. He’s tight with a few of her backup dancers, too.”
The source further reveals that Grande’s family “always liked” Alvarez and are equally “glad to have him around again.”
“The same goes for Ricky’s family. They are all starting to reconnect,” the source notes.
