Ariana Grande ‘forced’ her divorced parents to become friends
Written by worldOneFm on February 10, 2025
Ariana Grande “forced” her divorced parents Joan Grande and Edward Butera to become cordial with each other after 18 years.
The 7 Rings hitmaker and Wicked actress has revealed that she forced her parents to “get over” their divorce on her 24th birthday in 2017 and they have since become “best friends”.
“It took 18 years and it took me forcing it. I forced them to communicate again, I really did,” the 31-year-old shared on the WTF with Marc Maron podcast. “It was my 24th birthday and I remember just being at this pivotal point where I was like, ‘You guys, I love you both so much, it’s been such a long time, figure it the f**k out.’ I’m like, ‘Hello?! It’s been 18 years! I’m long gone (from the family home), I’m 80, please get over it.’ And they did; they’re best friends now.”
Ariana, who was around eight or nine years old when they separated, admitted their newfound friendship was “the best thing in the whole world” after many “tough” years of tension between them.
“I guess they just had some beautiful conversation and realised how much they love me is so much louder than whatever nonsense happened way back when,” she continued.
“They’re truly so close. It’s the sweetest thing. It makes me really happy. It did something to my brain too; it was really a beautiful, healthy thing.”
The Oscar nominee revealed in a 2014 interview with Seventeen that she had fallen out of touch with Edward, and in her 2018 song Thank U, Next, she sang, “One day I’ll walk down the aisle / Holding hands with my mama / I’ll be thanking my dad / ‘Cause she grew from the drama.”
However, they soon reconciled, with trio reuniting for their first Thanksgiving together in 18 years in 2019. Joan and Edward later joined Ariana at the 2020 Grammys, where she changed the Thank U, Next lyrics to: “I’ll be thanking my dad / ‘Cause he’s really awesome.”
In November 2024, Joan and Edward both attended the Los Angeles premiere of Wicked, where the pop star is credited by her full name Ariana Grande-Butera.
