Ariana Grande has seemingly taken her reignited romance with Ricky Álvarez to a new level by showing off a matching Love tattoo.
The pair went Instagram official a couple of days ago, a few months after she and Ethan Slater ended their romance.
Sources close to the singer say she “does not care about what people say” about her relationship with Álvarez, as he makes her happy.
Pop superstar Ariana Grande and her boyfriend, dancer Ricky Álvarez, have taken a subtle but meaningful step in their relationship by getting matching ink.
According to Page Six, the singer showed it off during the recent London stop of her ongoing Eternal Sunshine tour.
It features the phrase “I do love you” and can be seen sitting pretty on her clavicle. The ink appears to match Álvarez’s own version of the same words, which was drawn along his left collarbone, although it was done in a different font.
Grande teased the design in an August 12 Instagram post, as the words appeared in quotes in one photo. She also went Instagram official with Álvarez in the same post, sharing a photo of them hugging.
Grande And Álvarez Were Previously Together
Grande and Álvarez first dated from 2015 to 2016 after he joined her tour as a backup dancer the year before. They broke up around mid-2016 but remained friends over the years.
Photos of them spending time together, even while she was on tour, started making waves online back in June, with rumors suggesting they had gotten back together.
During one of her concert stops, the Side to Side singer made a telling gesture, teasing that they were back together as she changed the lyrics to her hit song Thank U, Next.
Instead of singing the original lines, “Wrote some songs about Ricky / Now I listen and laugh,” she tweaked them to: “Wrote some songs about Ricky / We always find our way back.”
Ariana Grande And Ricky Álvarez Are Taking Romance ‘Very Slowly’
Last month, PEOPLE confirmed that they had reignited their romance but were “taking things very slowly.”
“Ariana has always considered Ricky a friend,” a source told the news outlet. “She’s not held ill will against him [since their split]. Ricky is dependable, trustworthy, and very supportive. Ariana feels she can be herself around Ricky.”
The source went further, noting that she loves how “funny” he is and that “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,” the insider added.
Grande To Spend Her Break From The Spotlight With Álvarez
The rekindled romance has partly subjected her to severe online scrutiny, coming barely weeks after news broke of her split from ex-boyfriend Ethan Slater.
She has also faced endless scrutiny over her body and health, with reports suggesting she’ll be stepping away from the public eye after she wraps up her Eternal Sunshine tour next month.
A rep for the singer told PEOPLE that she “will be taking a step back from visibility” when she wraps up touring, after her appearances led to “endless, ongoing public scrutiny.”
Reports suggest she plans to spend plenty of time during her break from the spotlight with Álvarez and doesn’t care what people are saying about their relationship.
“Ricky is someone she’s known forever,” an insider told Star Magazine. “They have so much history, it’s just very easy, and she says the moment he stepped back into her life she instantly felt calmer.”
“At first, they were keeping things in the friend zone, but then it just naturally progressed because they do have such a strong attraction to each other,” the source continued. “Ariana says she’s trying not to get ahead of herself, but in some ways, she does feel like fate could be giving them a second chance for a reason.”
Ariana Grande Is Unbothered By Criticism Of Her Ricky Álvarez Romance
Addressing negative fan chatter about her decision to date again despite her vulnerable state, the insider explained that Grande is not moved by it, as Álvarez makes her happy.
“Ariana does not care what people say,” the source said. “Being with Ricky makes her happy, and she finds it absurd for anyone to suggest she shouldn’t be with him because she’s in some sort of alleged health crisis.”
“She appreciates people’s concerns, but she’s adamant that there is no reason to worry,” they added. “She insists that she’s fine and simply overworked and stressed, and now that she has some time off, she can focus on enjoying herself and getting back her strength.”
