Ariana Grande Shares Intimate Glimpse at Ricky Álvarez Romance

Paige Catton Sun, November 8, 2026 at 2:47 AM UTC

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Originally appeared on E! Online

Ariana Grande is telling Ricky Álvarez to come on and put her lipstick on.

The “petal” singer shared an inside look at her sweet romance with her boyfriend as the couple showed off some major PDA while taking on a social media challenge for Grande’s makeup brand R.E.M. Beauty.

In a Nov. 7 Instagram Reel, the Grammy winner tasked Álvarez with guessing which R.E.M Beauty lip products she was wearing on her lips only through blind kisses as the 35-year-old had his beanie covering his eyes.

“This is a challenge called, ‘What’s on my lips?’” Grande shared, kicking off the clip, to which Álvarez quipped, “Or what’s on my girlfriend’s lips, really.”

The Wicked actress—who was sitting on Álvarez’s lap—first applied a generous layer of lip gloss, before giving her man a smooch.

And Álvarez proved he doesn’t need space, asking Grande for another kiss.

“Oh, I need more,” he admitted, to which Grande kissed him again. “That’s not Blur Butter.”

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“It has to be Glossy Balm,” Álvarez went on. “I don’t have a tingle yet. I also just ate spicy ramen, so I feel like the pores would be open. I feel like it might hit me quicker, so I think I’m gonna go with Glossy Balm.”

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Grande cheerfully declared to her man that he was correct.

Álvarez was ready to say thank u, next as he guessed the next two rounds correctly, with Grande continuing to give her boyfriend more loving smooches.

And the dancer showed how much he knows his girlfriend’s brand one last time for a “bonus round,” correctly guessing a lip product that seemingly hadn’t been released yet.

“Interesting, not one of the ones I’m used to. Is it Holiday Mélange?” Álvarez asked Grande, who shared with a laugh that he was right. “I don’t think that one’s out yet.”

He also seems to love the way the Focker-In-Law actress runs R.E.M. After all, Álvarez noted during the video how the brand’s products are made in Italy, with Grande even highlighting the moment in the comments section of the video.

And as the pair—who first dated from 2015 until 2016, before confirming their reconciliation in August—continue to show off their big feelings for one another, Grande has expressed she hopes this love will be forever tattooed on her heart.

During the final show of her Eternal Sunshine Tour in September, the 33-year-old once again changed the lyrics to line about Álvarez in “thank u, next.”

Instead of singing, “Wrote some songs about Ricky / Now I listen and laugh,” Grande sang, “Wrote some songs about Ricky / I’m tryna make him my last.”

For a closer look at Grande’s romantic history, keep reading…

Graham Phillips

ThoughAriana Grandeand actorGrahamPhillipshave since gone their separate ways, the pair have proved they certainlycanbe friends.The Grammy winner andThe Good Wifealum met in 2008 while starring in the hit Broadway musical13.And while the duo may have called it quits in 2011, it’s obvious they’ve remained on good terms, sharing a selfiefrom a “Lil 13 reunion” they had in 2016and enjoying a 2019 dinner together in New York.Jai Brooks

While it’s a true story thatJai Brooksdated 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 brotherLuke Brooks. The siblings—part of YouTube comedy groupThe 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 toaccuse Grande of cheating on himwithThe Wanted’sNathan 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 theywalked away from their connection for goodmonths later.Nathan Sykes

After 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 toldBrian Finkof Florida radio's93.3 FLZin 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 wifeCharlotte Burkein October 2025—detailed how he and theWickedstar 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 toldEntertainment Tonightat 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."Big Sean

Romance rumors began about Grande andBig 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 onOn Air with Ryan Seacrestin 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 sonNoahwith longtime partnerJhené Aikoin 2022—broke up in April 2015 after nearly nine months of dating due to conflicting tour schedules, a source previously toldE! News.In a joint statement, Grande and Sean’s reps shared they "care deeply for each other and remain close friends."Mac Miller

Mac Millerfirst 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 albumThe Divine Feminine—it was how they supported each other in the face of hardship that made their romance so strong.After theterrorist 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.

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 toldVoguein 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.”Pete Davidson

Did Grande andPete Davidsonhave the ultimate whirlwind romance? Yes, and?The comedian made his relationship with the “Dangerous Woman” singer Instagram official in May 2018 after they met onSaturday Night Live.Weeks later, Davidsondebuted multiple tattoos in Grande’s honorbefore 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 theTonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. “It’s f--king lit, Jimmy. It’s so lit.”In August, the pairmade their romance red carpet-officialas they attended the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards together, just days after Grande dropped her fourth studio albumSweetener, 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 daughterScottie Rosewith exElsie 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.”Dalton Gomez

And 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 andDalton Gomezbegan 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 loveInstagram officialthat June.And by December of that year,they imagined a world together as they got engaged.Five months later, the pairtied the knot at their home in Montecito, California.“They got married. It was tiny and intimate—less than 20 people,” Grande’s rep toldPeopleof 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 toTMZ, 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 Daltonfinalized their divorcein March 2024.Ethan Slater

Grande first discoverated her feelings forEthan Slateron the set ofWickedbefore their romance began in July 2023. Two months later, they were seen on a Disney World date in photos obtained byTMZ.A source close to Grande and Slater toldE! Newsafter 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 brotherFrankie Grande, who called him a “very sweet guy” in aJune 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 toldVanity Fairin 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-wifeLilly Jayin August 2022—against any negativity thrown at him.

“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 toldGQin 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 offfor good in June 2026.Ricky Álvarez

Grande andRicky Álvarez’s love story began in 2015 after he joined the popstar on herHoneymoonTour as a background dancer.“We’re happy,” Grande toldBillboardof 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 dancercalling it quits just months laterin July 2016.But there were brighter days ahead for the couple, who wereseen together during a June 2026 group lunchat De Nada Cantina in Austin.One day later, Grandeswitched up the lyricsto 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 onInstagramJuly 27 ahead of the release of her eighth albumPetal.As she captioned the post which included a clip of herself clinking olives with Álvarez, “petal season continued …….. !”

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”