Ariana Grande spent the Fourth of July weekend in Florida with her ex-boyfriend Ricky Alvarez, sparking fresh speculation that the former couple may be rekindling their romance.
The 33-year-old pop superstar was photographed leaving a Whole Foods in Boca Raton on Saturday with Alvarez, 34, carrying grocery bags. The casual outing came just hours after Grande wrapped three sold-out Eternal Sunshine Tour performances in Sunrise, Florida.
Grande kept her look relaxed in an oversized grey cardigan, baggy jeans, and ballet flats with her hair tied in a bun. Alvarez, who served as one of Grande’s backup dancers during her 2015 Honeymoon Tour, matched the casual vibe in a white polo shirt, navy jeans, and a black cap.
The pair first dated between 2015 and 2016, a relationship famously immortalized in her hit “Thank U, Next”. Despite their breakup nearly a decade ago, the two have remained on friendly terms over the years.
The grocery run immediately sent fans into a nostalgia spiral, with many drawing comparisons to a famous 2016 photo of the couple holding hands while shopping at a Whole Foods in California. Side-by-side comparisons quickly spread across social media, with fans pointing out the uncanny resemblance between the two outings.
One fan wrote, “I’m so down for this!! He’s going to heal the old Ari,” while another bluntly asked, “Are we sure he is still an ex?”. A third simply begged, “Get back with him Ari”.
However, not everyone was convinced. Some questioned the timing, with one commenter noting, “Going back to your ex after a decade filled with a divorce, marriage, and a hardcore failed relationship is totally unacceptable in terms of self-love”. Others saw a publicity strategy, writing, “Finally, good PR over her relationship status”.
The Florida sighting follows an earlier reunion in Austin, Texas, in late June, which first sparked rumors . During her June 26 birthday show at the Moody Center, Grande changed the lyrics to “Thank U, Next”. Instead of singing, “Wrote some songs about Ricky, now I listen and laugh,” she performed, “Wrote some songs about Ricky, now they still kinda slap” and “I know he still got my back”.
Alvarez was reportedly in the VIP section for the performance, and sources say he was seen shaking hands with Grande’s father afterward, a moment captured on TikTok and replayed thousands of times.
The renewed attention comes just weeks after reports confirmed that Grande had split from Wicked co-star Ethan Slater after nearly three years together. The pair’s relationship had been controversial from the start, with Grande’s 2023 separation from husband Dalton Gomez occurring around the same time Slater was going through a divorce from his wife of five years.
Sources close to Grande have maintained that her reunion with Alvarez is platonic for now. A source said that Alvarez was “just one of several friends celebrating Grande’s birthday,” adding that “there is nothing romantic between them”. However, the Fourth of July grocery run has once again prompted fans to revisit the possibility of a rekindled romance.
As Grande continues her Eternal Sunshine Tour, her personal life remains under a harsh spotlight. Whether Alvarez is simply a trusted friend or something more, the pair’s repeated public outings and the singer’s lyric changes have left fans wondering if 2016 is truly back.
