The pop superstar is reportedly taking things slowly with someone she has always trusted.
Ariana Grande has been romantically linked to her ex-boyfriend Ricky Alvarez, 10 years after they split.
The 33-year-old pop megastar is said to have grown close to her 35-year-old former backing dancer, whom she dated from 2015 to 2016, following her breakup with Wicked co-star Ethan Slater. However, the pair are reportedly “taking things very slowly.”
A source told PEOPLE: “Ariana has always considered Ricky a friend.
“She’s not held any ill will against him [since their split]. Ricky is dependable, trustworthy, and very supportive. Ariana feels she can be herself around Ricky.”
The “Into You” hitmaker is also said to find Ricky “funny,” and she is “happy” to have someone she “really trusts” back in her life.
The source added: “They have a similar, smart, dry sense of humor.
“They’re not jumping into anything serious right away, but Ari is happy to have him back in her life.”
Earlier this month, the pair reportedly spent the Fourth of July weekend together, along with Ariana’s family.
Another source recently said: “Ricky has always been a friend and confidant.
“He has such great, positive energy, makes her laugh, and she enjoys spending time with him.”
Ariana famously name-checked Ricky, along with some of her other exes, Pete Davidson, Mac Miller, and Big Sean, in her 2018 hit “Thank U, Next.”
In one part of the song, she sings: “Wrote some songs about Ricky / Now I listen and laugh.”
The star is currently on her 41-date Eternal Sunshine Tour, and she is said to have been changing some of the “Thank U, Next” lyrics to reference being on good terms with Ricky.
Grande has been heard singing: “Wrote some songs about Ricky / I know he’s still got my back.”
She has also sung: “Wrote some songs about Ricky / And they still kinda slap.”
The source added: “She’s having a great time on tour. She loves having close friends join her for parts of the tour.”
In June, it was reported that Ariana and Ethan had split, with sources claiming the pair, who were first romantically linked in July 2023, had ended their relationship “several months” earlier.
A source told PEOPLE: “It’s amicable. They gave it lots of time and careful consideration and decided to go their separate ways.
“They are still friends and very supportive of one another.
“They have been quietly broken up for several months.”
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