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    Ariana Grande Shares Hope Boyfriend Ricky Álvarez Is Her “Last” Love

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    Watch: Ariana Grande Shares Hope Boyfriend Ricky Álvarez Is Her “Last” Love

    Ariana Grande is done saying thank u, next.

    Nearly three weeks after making her romance with Ricky ÁlvarezInstagram official, the “7 Rings” singer proved she could be in it for good one last time with a cheeky lyric change at the final show of her Eternal Sunshine Tour. 

    Indeed, instead of singing, “Wrote some songs about Ricky / Now I listen and laugh,” while performing “Thank U, Next” at the Sept. 1 concert, Grande sang, “Wrote some songs about Ricky / I’m tryna make him my last.”

    In video of the moment shared to X, the 33-year-old’s dancers began celebrating the hopeful words as the crowd erupted into cheers.

    Earlier this summer, Grande spurred speculation that she and Álvarez—who dated between 2015 and 2016—had rekindled their romance when she made other lyric changes to the song, which walks through her past relationships with him, Pete Davidson and Mac Miller. 

    At the June 24 show, she sang, “Wrote some songs about Ricky / And they still really slap” and at the June 26 show—the day after she was spotted grabbing lunch with Álvarez—she modified the words to be more personal about the dancer, tweaking the same line to “I know he still got my back.” 

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    Why Fans Think Ariana Grande’s Latest Tattoo Is a Reference to Ricky Álvarez

    Then, it seemed Grande all but confirmed her and Álvarez’s positions at her July 13 concert when she altered the lyrics to, “We’ll always find our way back.”

    Since her private breakup with Wicked costar Ethan Slater earlier this year—which E! News confirmed in June—Grande has had fans’ heads turning from side to side with hints that her romance with Álvarez is going well. 

    Kevin Mazur/Getty Images; Ricky Álvarez/Instagram

    Indeed, after the Oscar nominee shared a picture on her Instagram Stories Aug. 15 of a new script lettering tattoo on her collarbone that read “I do love you,” Arianators realized that Álvarez has the same words tattooed on his collarbone in a different font.

    Still, despite the occasional nod to the 35-year-old, Grande is keeping her new (again) relationship mostly out of the spotlight.

    For a look back through Grande’s dating history, keep reading… 

    Photo by Jesse Grant/WireImage

    Graham PhillipsThough Ariana Grande and actor Graham Phillips have since gone their separate ways, the pair have proved they certainly can be friends. The Grammy winner and The Good Wife alum met in 2008 while starring in the hit Broadway musical 13.And while the duo may have called it quits in 2011, it’s obvious they’ve remained on good terms, sharing a selfie from a “Lil 13 reunion” they had in 2016 and enjoying a 2019 dinner together in New York.

    Instagram

    Jai BrooksWhile it’s a true story that Jai Brooks dated Grande for nearly two years, their on-again off-again relationship wasn’t always full of sweetener.Indeed, the Australian YouTuber shot his shot with Grande over X (formerly Twitter) in 2012 as part of a challenge with twin brother Luke Brooks. The siblings—part of YouTube comedy group The Janoskians—competed to see who could get the Nickelodeon star’s attention first. After putting out a July 2012 video outlining why the child star should date him, the pair began a long-distance relationship that lasted into 2013. Following the breakup, Brooks took to X to accuse Grande of cheating on him with The Wanted’s Nathan Sykes, a claim she denied. “I’m going to be the lady my mother raised and carry myself with class and dignity… But I will never be any man’s press opportunity…” she wrote on X at the time. “It’s always ok to defend yourself. My fans know what kind of person I am. Never let any man discredit u or the values you were raised with…I’m finally happy. Words can’t hurt me anymore.”Despite the back-and-forth, Grande and Brooks poured into their relationship one last time, reconciling in 2014, though they walked away from their connection for good months later.

    Photo by SAV/FilmMagic

    Nathan SykesAfter Grande and Sykes collaborated on their 2013 duet “Almost Is Never Enough,” Grande knew the boy was hers. Though the pair dated publicly for about five months, Grande told Brian Fink of Florida radio’s 93.3 FLZ in December of that year that they’d broken up and remained “really good friends.”In 2016, they teamed up yet again for their track “Over and Over Again.” And while there were some post-breakup jitters when it came to working together again, Sykes—who married wife Charlotte Burke in October 2025—detailed how he and the Wicked star quickly moved past any uncomfortable vibes.”I spoke to [Ariana] and I was like, ‘It’s only as awkward as everyone else makes it,'” Sykes told Entertainment Tonight at the time. “If we don’t make it awkward, then at the end of the day, after a couple of weeks, it’s not going to be awkward anymore.”

    Photo by Jeff Vespa/WireImage

    Big SeanRomance rumors began about Grande and Big Sean—who had previously collaborated on tracks like “Best Mistake” and “Right There”—after they were spotted leaving a movie theater together in August 2014. One month later, the “Blessings” rapper subtly confirmed their relationship.”That Ariana is very, very special,” he said during his appearance on On Air with Ryan Seacrest in September 2014. “She’s very special to me.”And while the “thank u, next” hitmaker thought she’d end up with Sean, he wasn’t a match. Grande and Sean—who welcomed son Noah with longtime partner Jhené Aiko in 2022—broke up in April 2015 after nearly nine months of dating due to conflicting tour schedules, a source previously told E! News. In a joint statement, Grande and Sean’s reps shared they “care deeply for each other and remain close friends.”

    Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

    Mac MillerMac Miller first teamed up with Grande professionally on a 2012 cover of “Baby It’s Cold Outside”—and later their 2013 single “The Way”—before their connection turned romantic.Though they sparked dating rumors early on in their working relationship, Miller set the record straight after their steamy music video for the latter track raised eyebrows about the nature of their connection.“That’s the homie. She’s got a boyfriend and everything,” Miller told MTV News in an April 2013 interview, referencing her romance with Brooks. “Obviously, that [kiss] made everyone talk. I didn’t even know that was going to happen and then we were shooting and the director was like, ‘This should happen,’ and I’m like, ‘Alright.’”But it seems Miller was more game for the interaction than he let on. After all, the pair went public with their relationship in August 2016 while attending the MTV VMAs together.Though they were able to collaborate on many more tracks together—including  “My Favorite Part” from Miller’s 2016 album The Divine Feminine—it was how they supported each other in the face of hardship that made their romance so strong.After the terrorist bombing at Grande’s 2017 concert in Manchester—which claimed the lives of 22 people—Miller stood by her side, later joining her on stage at the benefit show she hosted to support the victims.

    Photo by GC Images

    But in May 2018, Grande and Miller broke up.“This is one of my best friends in the whole world and favorite people on the planet,” Grande wrote on Instagram Stories at the time. “I respect and adore him endlessly and am grateful to have him in my life in any form, at all times regardless of how our relationship changes or what the universe holds for each of us!”Four months later, Miller tragically died following an accidental overdose. It wasn’t until a year later that Grande spoke publicly about her profound grief.“It’s pretty all-consuming,” she told Vogue in a July 2019 interview. “By no means was what we had perfect, but, like, f–k. He was the best person ever, and he didn’t deserve the demons he had.”“I was the glue for such a long time, and I found myself becoming less and less sticky,” she added. “The pieces just started to float away.”

    Photo by Gotham/GC Images

    Pete DavidsonDid Grande and Pete Davidson have the ultimate whirlwind romance? Yes, and? The comedian made his relationship with the “Dangerous Woman” singer Instagram official in May 2018 after they met on Saturday Night Live.Weeks later, Davidson debuted multiple tattoos in Grande’s honor before confirming his engagement to the “Into You” singer one month later.“I feel like I won a contest, so sick,” Davidson said of the engagement during his June 2018 appearance on the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. “It’s f–king lit, Jimmy. It’s so lit.”In August, the pair made their romance red carpet-official as they attended the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards together, just days after Grande dropped her fourth studio album Sweetener, which features the song “pete davidson.”While they covered quite a bit of ground in their relationship together, Grande and Davidson—who has since welcomed a daughter Scottie Rose with ex Elsie Hewitt—broke up in October 2018, but not without Grande giving her former fiancé one last shoutout. As Grande sings in “thank u, next,” “Even almost got married / And for Pete, I’m so thankful.”

    Instagram

    Dalton GomezAnd it wasn’t all that long after Grande’s split from Davidson that she found herself walking down the aisle holding hands with her mama.She and Dalton Gomez began dating in the beginning of 2020, right before the COVID-19 pandemic put the pair on lockdown. The “yes, and?” singer and real estate agent quarantined together, making their love Instagram official that June.And by December of that year, they imagined a world together as they got engaged. Five months later, the pair tied the knot at their home in Montecito, California.“They got married. It was tiny and intimate—less than 20 people,” Grande’s rep told People of the May 2021 nuptials. “The room was so happy and full of love. The couple and both families couldn’t be happier.”But Grande and Gomez broke free from their marriage just two years later before settling the terms of their divorce in October 2023, according to documents obtained by E! News. Per the agreement, according to TMZ, Gomez received a one-time tax-free payment of $1,250,000 and half the net proceeds of their L.A. home sale but did not collect spousal support. Grande and Dalton finalized their divorce in March 2024.

    Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for National Board of Review

    Ethan SlaterGrande first discoverated her feelings for Ethan Slater on the set of Wicked before their romance began in July 2023. Two months later, they were seen on a Disney World date in photos obtained by TMZ.A source close to Grande and Slater told E! News after the excursion, “they went with a big group of friends including her mom and brother and are really happy and really good for each other.”And while the pair’s thrillifying romance got a stamp of approval from Grande’s brother Frankie Grande, who called him a “very sweet guy” in a June 2024 interview with TooFab, the couple’s relationship became the center of controversy following speculation there was overlap with their previous marriages. “It definitely doesn’t get any easier, seeing some of the negativity that was birthed by disreputable tabloids,” Grande told Vanity Fair in 2024 of the chatter. “Of course, I went through a lot of life changes during the filming of this movie. A lot of people that were working on it did.”Grande went on to defend Slater—who welcomed a son with ex-wife Lilly Jay in August 2022—against any negativity thrown at him. 

    Photo by John Shearer/97th Oscars/The Academy via Getty Images

    “There couldn’t be a less accurate depiction of a human being than the one that the tabloids spread about him,” Grande added. “No one on this earth tries harder or spreads themselves thinner to be there for the people that he loves and cares about. There is no one on this earth with a better heart, and that is something that no bullshit tabloid can rewrite in real life.”That same month, Slater finalized his divorce with Jay. Following the changes in his personal life, the Broadway star opened up about the challenges of being catapulted into the spotlight.“I think there was something that was really difficult about things in your private life being commented on and looked at by the public,” Slater told GQ in 2024. “There were a lot of big changes in private lives that were really happening, so it’s really hard to see people who don’t know anything about what’s happening commenting on it.”While breakup rumors between the two began in late 2025, they called their three-year romance off for good in June 2026. 

    Photo by Jun Sato/GC Images

    Ricky ÁlvarezGrande and Ricky Álvarez’s love story began in 2015 after he joined the popstar on her Honeymoon Tour as a background dancer. “We’re happy,” Grande told Billboard of her romance with Álvarez in a May 2016 interview. “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.”Their romance proved to be short and sweet, with the musician and the professional dancer calling it quits just months later in July 2016.But there were brighter days ahead for the couple, who were seen together during a June 2026 group lunch at De Nada Cantina in Austin.One day later, Grande switched up the lyrics to her 2018 hit “thank u, next.” Though she usually followed the lyric, “Wrote some song about Ricky,” with, “now I listen and laugh,” at her Austin show she said, “They still really slap.” Weeks later, she was back at it again, this time singing at her July 13 concert, “We always find our way back.”Soon after, he found his way onto her grid, with Grande appearing to soft launch their romance on Instagram July 27 ahead of the release of her eighth album Petal. As she captioned the post which included a clip of herself clinking olives with Álvarez, “petal season continued …….. !” 

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