Ariana, Girl, Don’t Do It…

Ariana Grande is scaring fans with multiple instances of breaking the cardinal rule of “thank u next,” post-Ethan Slater breakup, and I get that Mercury is in retrograde, but please don’t get back with your ex.

Earlier this month, TMZ broke the news that Grande had “quietly broken up” with Slater after three years of dating, two Wicked’s, and one damning homewrecking scandal. Apparently, the pair had been broken up for “several months,” after deciding that “they were better off friends than in a committed relationship,” thus confirming that Grande would indeed be a single lady as she embarked on her Enteral Sunshine world tour. But nobody—not even the most devout Arianator—could have predicted Grande would be captured on an outing with her ex, not but a few weeks later.

While stopping off in Austin, TX, during a leg of her tour, Grande was spotted getting lunch with her ex, Ricky Alvarez, who you might know from: “wrote some songs about Ricky, now I listen and laugh…” (as heard on “thank u next”). An entire lifetime has passed since Grande and Alvarez dated for about a year circa 2015, during which Alvarez worked as Grande’s backup dancer, so I imagine they had a lot to catch up on.

Ariana grande was seen with her ex boyfriend, Ricky, hanging out together recently.
This goes right after Ariana changed the Thank u, next lyrics on yesterday show:

‘Wrote some songs about Ricky…now they still kinda slap’ pic.twitter.com/t4U2gy2QIW

— pop_insider 🤍🖤 (@PInsider_) June 26, 2026

In the photos, Ariana was seen at a dining table with two men, one of whom fans quickly clocked as Alvarez. Looks innocent enough…BUT…

“They’ve been hanging out recently,” a source later told People of the couple. Interesting. 

Alvarez was then spotted at one of Grande’s Austin shows, where she was seemingly communicating with him and fans through subtle lyric changes to “thank u next.” Not once, but twice. The first, “wrote some songs about Ricky, now they still kind of slap,” and again, “wrote some songs about Ricky, I know he’s still got my back.”

It also didn’t take long for fans to catch that they both posted the same picture of the moon to social media, which MUST prove they were hanging out. I mean, how else would two people see the same moon at the same time??? There’s only one moon, so they must be together!

🚨 | Ariana Grande’s instagram dump includes a shot of the moon which also appears on Ricky Alvarez’s instagram story pic.twitter.com/lpuoQvb68f

— ً (@statsforari) June 30, 2026

A mercury retrograde in Cancer, PLUS a full moon…I’m scared. Ariana, a confirmed follower of Astrology, must be aware of this information.

Kidding aside, I think that these two are definitely old pals, and maybe just riling up the fans for fun. Her lyric change, “wrote some songs about Ricky, I know he’s still got my back,” reads very platonic.

Anyway, this is your sign not to get back with that man! Thank you, but respectfully, next. 

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