CELEBRITY HOLIDAYS

Ariana Grande spends the Fourth of July with Ricky Alvarez after changing one of her most iconic lyrics


The former couple was on a grocery run


LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 13:  (Exclusive coverage) Ricky Alvarez (L) and recording artist Ariana Grande attend The Creators Party, Presented by Spotify, Cicada, Los Angeles at Cicada on February 13, 2016 in Los Angeles, California.  (Photo by John Shearer/Getty Images for Kitty Purry, Inc.) © John Shearer
Jovita TrujilloSenior Writer
JULY 6, 2026 8:19 PM EDT

Ariana Grande is fresh off her relationship with Ethan Slater and is making headlines with a familiar face. The singer has been reconnecting with her ex-boyfriend, Ricky Alvarez, and doesn't really seem to care who knows. After changing the lyrics to "thank u, next," they spent the Holiday weekend together. 

He used to be her backup dancer© Backgrid/The Grosby Group
He used to be her backup dancer

The exes were photographed on a Fourth of July grocery run in Boca Raton, Florida. Fresh off three sold-out Eternal Sunshine Tour shows in nearby Sunrise, Grande stopped at Whole Foods before heading to celebrate the holiday at her parents' home. 

He helped her load the groceries into a waiting vehicle © Backgrid/The Grosby Group
He helped her load the groceries into a waiting vehicle

Alvarez was right there beside her, helping carry groceries before the two drove off together. The singer had to know she would be photographed, and someone else could have gotten the groceries for them, so the internet is convinced they are back together. 

She looked comfortable and happy © Backgrid/The Grosby Group
She looked comfortable and happy

It's the second time they've been spotted together in less than a month. They had dinner in Texas, then during her Austin show, Grande swapped one of the most recognizable lines in "thank u, next." Instead of singing, "Wrote some songs about Ricky, now I listen and laugh," she sang, "Wrote some songs about Ricky, and he's still got my back."

Ariana Grande kept it casual and even carried her own grocery bags© Backgrid/The Grosby Group
Ariana Grande kept it casual and even carried her own grocery bags

Alvarez was there in the audience, and cameras caught him smiling after the lyric before proudly shaking hands with a friend.

Ariana Grande and Ricky Alvarez dancing together in 2015© FilmMagic
Ariana Grande and Ricky Alvarez dancing together in 2015

It's a full-circle moment. When "thank u, next" was released in 2018, Alvarez famously got what Grande jokingly called "the worst line" in the song.

She later apologized to him on Instagram, assuring him it was written: "very lovingly." 

2016© Getty
2016

The pair dated briefly in 2015 and 2016, when Alvarez danced on Grande's tours, but they've managed to stay friends. There have been the occasional sightings over the years, but lately they've been spending noticeably more time together.

The couple was reportedly living together at one point© The Grosby Group
Ariana's split with Ethan was reported in June

Of course, the timing is hard to ignore. Grande's latest outings with Alvarez come just weeks after news broke that she and Slater had quietly ended their relationship. Reports said the split actually happened months ago and that the two remain on good terms, but that hasn't stopped fans from wondering whether Alvarez's return to the picture means something more.

For now, all anyone really knows is that Grande has been seen with Alvarez twice in recent weeks, she changed one of the most iconic lyrics she's ever written about him, and the internet is now trying to figure out if we are about to see a second chapter for them.