Ariana Grande shared a photograph with on-again boyfriend Ricky Alvarez in a new Instagram album on Wednesday, amid increased public concern regarding her well-being. The post comes days after Grande announced she would be taking a temporary step back from public life following the conclusion of her current concert tour on September 1.
The singer's statement cited "endless, ongoing public scrutiny," which intensified after the release of her music video for "Petal." In the video, her noticeably thin figure sparked widespread online speculation and comparisons to Karen Carpenter, a singer who died from anorexia.
In the Instagram update, Grande, 33, appeared in good spirits, documenting her travels on her "Eternal Sunshine Tour." One image showed Alvarez, a former backup dancer she previously dated between 2015 and 2016, with his arm around her. Another photo, though blurred, showed her clinging to him.
Grande's impending hiatus from public life was confirmed by a representative, who stated she would be "taking a step back from visibility after she completes the Eternal Sunshine Tour." A family insider also told the Daily Mail that her close circle had urged her to take a break from her career. This hiatus includes her withdrawal from a planned West End revival of Stephen Sondheim's "Sunday in the Park with George."
Despite the public commentary, Grande asserted during a concert that her break had been planned "a long time ago" and that "boundaries need to be set." She also appeared to acknowledge the discussion around personal health by liking a post from psychotherapist Terri Cole about embracing a healthier version of oneself, even if it is not universally accepted.
Grande previously hinted at her rekindled romance with Alvarez during a concert in July. She altered the lyric in her song "Thank U, Next" from "Wrote some songs about Ricky, now I listen and laugh" to "We always find our way back." This occurred shortly after reports of her relationship with "Wicked" co-star Ethan Slater had ended. Their relationship, which began in 2023 during the filming of the "Wicked" adaptation, faced controversy due to Slater being married at the time. Grande addressed the public reaction with her single "The Boy Is Mine."
Grande and Slater reportedly ended their relationship amicably in early June. Prior to her relationship with Slater, Grande was briefly engaged to Pete Davidson and was married for three years to Dalton Gomez, from whom she had recently separated before news of her affair with Slater surfaced. Her earlier relationship with Alvarez preceded her two-year relationship with rapper Mac Miller, who died in 2018.