How Ethan Slater reportedly found out about Ariana Grande's Ricky Alvarez romance

Ethan Slater reportedly learned about Ariana Grande's renewed relationship with her former boyfriend Ricky Alvarez through mutual friends rather than directly from the singer, according to a new report.

The Daily Mail cited unnamed insiders who claimed Grande did not personally tell Slater about the reunion but remained loosely in contact with him because they still share mutual friends.

"Ariana hasn't told Ethan specifically, but mutual friends have told him that she is now dating Ricky again," an insider told the outlet. "It was important to her to still be loosely in contact with him as they still had mutual friends."

Reports that Grande has rekindled her romance with Alvarez have attracted attention after the pair were previously in a relationship between June 2015 and July 2016.

The singer and her former backup dancer first met in 2014 when Alvarez joined her touring team. According to recent reports, the pair reconnected around Grande's birthday in 2026.

Grande's previous relationship with Slater also drew widespread public interest. The two met while working on the film Wicked, where they became close during production.

Before their relationship became public, Grande was reportedly friendly with Slater and his then-wife Lilly Jay, with reports noting that she interacted with the couple on social media and spent time with their family. Jay and Slater welcomed a son in 2022.

In June 2026, reports stated that Grande and Slater had ended their relationship after splitting several months earlier.