Ariana Grande and Ricky Alvarez romance heats up in NYC
Ricky Alvarez showed up at Ariana Grande's New York City Eternal Sunshine tour concert over the weekend, putting their rekindled romance back in the spotlight. The ariana grande and onagain pairing, confirmed by Page Six last week as taking things slowly after a 2016 split, drew buzz after Alvarez was filmed swaying to Imperfect for You in the crowd.
Key Takeaways
- Ricky Alvarez, 35, was spotted in the audience at Ariana Grande's NYC Eternal Sunshine tour show on Saturday.
- A viral TikTok showed him holding up his phone light and swaying to "Imperfect for You" in a blue flannel and black hat.
- The appearance came two days after the pair were seen cozying up on a Central Park stroll on Thursday.
- Page Six confirmed they have "rekindled things" but are not "rushing back into the relationship."
- Grande, 33, and Alvarez first dated from 2015 to 2016; he is a former backup dancer for the singer.
Why was Ricky Alvarez at Ariana Grande's NYC concert?
Alvarez attended Grande's New York City concert over the weekend as part of her Eternal Sunshine tour. In a viral TikTok, a fellow attendee filmed the dancer holding up his phone light while swaying to "Imperfect for You" on Saturday.
He kept a low profile in a blue flannel and black hat. Social media users praised the show of support and his moves, with one fan noting they often forget he was her backup dancer and "has rhythm." Many also praised him for seemingly recording some of his partner's performance.
The concert came on the heels of a PDA-filled Central Park walk on Thursday, when the pair put their arms around each other on a stroll. For more celebrity headlines, see our Celebrity Breaking News coverage.
Are Ariana Grande and Ricky Alvarez officially back together?
According to Page Six, the outlet confirmed last week that Grande and her ex have "rekindled things" but are not "rushing back into the relationship."
Instead, sources say they are "enjoying spending time together again and seeing where things go without putting too much pressure on the relationship." One insider noted Grande "has a lot on her plate at the moment and is still incredibly busy with her tour schedule, so they're taking things one step at a time."
The same source added that Alvarez "has remained close with Ariana's family over the years," something she "really appreciates," and that he "has also made an effort to show up and support her while she's on tour, which hasn't gone unnoticed."
What does this mean for Grande's recent relationship timeline?
The Grammy winner initially dated Alvarez between 2015 and 2016. She later got engaged to Pete Davidson, married Dalton Gomez, and dated Ethan Slater. They sparked reconciliation rumors in June, when Alvarez's presence at a Texas show coincided with Grande changing "Thank U, Next" lyrics about him.
Instead of singing that their relationship makes her "laugh," she sang that he has "still got [her] back." They were subsequently spotted out on the Fourth of July. News broke last month that Grande and Slater, 34, are over, and the Broadway star reportedly found out through mutual friends that his Wicked co-star is back with Alvarez.
Alvarez's surprise NYC appearance underscores the pair's slow-burn reunion while Grande continues her tour — support that fans and sources say has not gone unnoticed.