Ariana Grande marked the end of her 41-show Eternal Sunshine tour by sharing a video montage that included an intimate moment with on-again boyfriend Ricky Alvarez. The black-and-white footage captured Grande, 33, rehearsing before pausing to walk to the edge of the stage, where Alvarez, 35, was taking photos. She then knelt down and shared a kiss with him.
In the video's caption, Grande expressed her gratitude to her fans, writing, "this experience has meant more to me than words can possibly say … "I love you" doesn't begin to cover it. thank you. from the bottom of my heart. yours always, Ariana." The gesture also appeared to be a public affirmation of her relationship with Alvarez.
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Grande also altered the lyrics to her song "thank u, next" during the final concert in London, sparking speculation about her relationship. Instead of the original line "Wrote some songs about Ricky / Now I listen and laugh," she sang, "Wrote some songs about Ricky / I'm tryna make him my last." This follows a similar lyrical change in July, where she sang, "Wrote some songs about Ricky / We always find our way back."
The couple, who first dated from 2015 to 2016, rekindled their romance in July. This reunion occurred months after Grande's split from "Wicked" co-star Ethan Slater. Grande initially hinted at the renewed relationship in late July with a social media clip and made it more public in mid-August with a tagged photo dump.
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This public display comes after Grande announced a hiatus from public-facing work. A representative stated that the singer would be stepping back from visibility following the tour to take a break from "ongoing public scrutiny" related to her appearance. Despite this break, Grande is reportedly committed to promotional activities and press for her upcoming movie "Focker-in-Law," which also stars Robert De Niro, Blythe Danner, and Ben Stiller, and is slated for release on November 25.
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Grande had previously withdrawn from her West End role in "Sunday in the Park with George" a month prior. At the time of the hiatus announcement, her representative noted that she looked forward to finishing the tour "healthily and happily" before taking a break from public appearances. A source indicated that she would continue to support her brand work during this period.
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