Ariana Grande, Ricky Álvarez Red Carpet at Focker In-Law

by Hannah / Nov 12, 2026 11:52 AM EST

Ariana Grande, Ricky Álvarez Red Carpet (@fastpapermag)

Ariana Grande walked into the "Focker In-Law" world premiere on Wednesday night with Ricky Álvarez at her side, their first red carpet together as a couple. Variety's video of the arrival had more than 1.3 million views on X by Thursday morning.

The premiere was at the Beacon Theatre in New York, according to WWD. Grande, 33, wore a vintage 1990s Badgley Mischka gown in silver plaid, with a beaded bodice, thin straps and a full skirt, her hair in a high bun with a cream ribbon. Álvarez wrapped his arms around her waist as they posed in front of the backdrop. At one point she appeared to whisper in his ear, and the two swayed together. One reply under Variety's video joked that he had picked the one premiere where meeting the family is the whole plot.

The break she announced in August

Grande said in August that she would step back from public-facing work once her Eternal Sunshine tour ended. A representative's statement at the time cited "endless, ongoing public scrutiny," TMZ reported. The tour wrapped in September. Grande later told a Chicago audience the break was not a reaction to outside criticism and had been planned quietly well in advance, according to TMZ.

The same outlet reported in September that she was not planning to disappear entirely before the break, because commitments were already on her calendar, including promotion for "Focker In-Law." TMZ says Wednesday's appearance was one of them. The film also stars Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro.

The relationship

Grande and Álvarez dated from 2015 to 2016, News24 reported, and rekindled the relationship this year. They went Instagram official in August. Álvarez was among the exes named in her song "thank u, next."

The film

"Focker In-Law" is the fourth film in the "Meet the Parents" franchise. Grande plays Olivia Jones, a former FBI hostage negotiator engaged to Greg Focker's son, Henry, according to Hypebeast's account of the trailer. John Hamburg wrote and directed. The film opens in theaters Nov. 25, the day before Thanksgiving, 13 days from today.