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As we previously reported, Ariana Grande is back together with Ricky Alvarez.
News of the rekindled romance comes just over a month after the world learned that Grande had broken up with Ethan Slater after three years together.
The timing was enough to make fans wonder if there was any overlap between these two relationships.
Thankfully, a source close to the situation assures the Daily Mail that Ariana “never crossed the line while she was with Ethan.”
So no, despite rumors to the contrary, Ari is not guilty of “branch-swinging” (the term for when you start a new relationship while still another one).
But it seems that Ethan didn’t hear the news of Ariana’s new relationship directly from his ex.
“Ariana hasn’t told Ethan specifically, but mutual friends have told him that she is now dating Ricky again,” an insider told the Mail on Friday.
The revelation comes just days after reports confirmed that Grande and Alvarez — who dated from 2015 to 2016 — have given their relationship another chance.
And apparently, Ethan found out through people in their shared circle after news of Ariana’s reunion with Ricky began spreading.
Despite the awkward circumstances, the source insisted there isn’t any lingering hostility between the former couple.
“There isn’t any bad blood,” the insider claimed, adding that Grande and Slater remain on good terms despite ending their relationship several months ago.
The report also pushes back on any suggestion that Grande’s romance with Alvarez began before her relationship with Slater ended.
According to the source, Grande and Alvarez stayed friendly over the years because they share many mutual friends, but they never crossed any romantic boundaries while she was still dating Slater.
Only after Grande’s relationship with the Broadway actor came to an end did she and Alvarez begin spending more time together one-on-one.
The insider described the reunion as a more mature relationship than the one they shared nearly a decade ago.
“They’ve both talked through what went wrong the first time,” the source said, adding that they’re approaching this chapter differently.
Ariana has already altered the lyrics to “thank u, next” in live performances in order to better express her change of heart toward Ricky.
And the way things are going, it sounds like she might be writing whole songs about him soon!
