Ariana Grande Caught Licking Donuts With New Boyfriend, Ricky Alvarez, Apologizes For “I Hate America” Comments

Ariana Grande was caught kissing a new man, backup dancer Ricky Alvarez, in a controversial video that shows the pop star licking display donuts and saying, “I hate America.”

Grande Spotted Kissing New Man, Ricky Alvarez, Licking Donuts

Grande has found herself in the middle of a strange media storm this week after TMZ released security footage from a Lake Elsinore, CA, donut shop that shows Grande, Alvarez and two other friends. While her friends order donuts, Grande and Alvarez approaches some donuts on display and very subtly licks one, before moving to a different display and licking a donut again. It looks like they are daring each other to do it.

At the very end of the video, an employee of the shop brings out a new tray of donuts, causing Grande to exclaim, “What the f—k is that? I hate Americans. I hate America.”

Ariana Grande Apologizes For “I Hate America” Comment

The video has gone viral, and Grande issued a strange apology for her “I hate America” comment, though she still has not commented on the whole ‘licking donuts’ controversy.

“I am EXTREMELY proud to be an American and I’ve always made it clear that I love my [country]. What I said in a private moment with my friend, who was buying donuts, was taken out of context and I am sorry for not using more discretion with my choice of words,” Grande said in a statement.

Grande apologized for her “poor choice of words” and said that she was simply expressing her disapproval of the food industry. “As an advocate for healthy eating, food is very important to me and I sometimes get upset by how freely we as Americans eat and consume things without giving any thought to the consequences that it has on our health and society as a whole. The fact that the United States has the highest child obesity rate in the world frustrates me,” Grande continued.

Of course, as many have noted, Grande made no mention of the real issue that has many upset and scratching their heads: the licking of the donuts. According to a report, the donut shop owner took the surveillance video to the police, claiming Grande and Alvarez damaged his product intentionally, which is likely how it was leaked. Police determined that there was no crime committed, but Riverside County public health officials are now investigating the incident for “alleged food tampering.” However, it is the donut shop being investigated, not Grande, as public health standards dictate that food on display should be kept away from direct contact with the public.

Who Is Ricky Alvarez?

While Grande continues to come under fire for her wacky behavior and subsequent apology, fans are now turning their attention to her rumored new boyfriend, Alvarez.

Alvarez is one of Grande’s back up dancers, and he’s also an amateur photographer, as evidenced by his Instagram page.

He frequently shares photos from his travels, and shares his love of fashion on Instagram. Grande appears here and there, usually in photos from their various performances together. Perhaps the most revealing photo that could point to their rumored relationship was uploaded over three months ago. Alvarez uploaded a rare selfie, writing in the caption that it was Grande who cut his hair!

Alvarez also makes the occasional appearance on Grande’s Instagram, like in this short video of him dancing backstage.