Ariana Grande recently opened up about how she played a pivotal role in reuniting her divorced parents, Joan Grande and Edward Butera, on the latest episode of the WTF with Marc Maron podcast, which aired on February 10. The 31-year-old singer shared that despite their separation when she was a child, she managed to help them become the best of friends again after years of estrangement.
“They’re not together, but they’re best friends,” Ariana explained. “It took 18 years and it took me forcing it. I forced them to communicate again. I really did.”
Grande recounted how, at the age of 24, she reached a turning point in her life and decided it was time for her parents to move on from their past. “I remember just kind of being at this pivotal point where I was just like, ‘You guys, I love you both so much. It’s been such a long time. Figure it the f— out,’” she said. “Like hello, it’s been 18 years. I’m 80 [years old]. Please get over it. And they did.”
Her efforts paid off, as her mother, Joan, 67, and father, Edward, 66, are now “best friends.” Ariana expressed how happy she is to see them in such a positive place, saying, “I can’t separate them. It’s the best thing in the whole world.”
The Wicked star credited her parents’ new bond to their realization that their love for her was greater than any past disagreements. “They just had like, some sort of beautiful conversation or realized that like, how much they love me is so much louder than whatever nonsense happened way back when. It really is beautiful,” she said.
Ariana’s parents have been vocal about their support for her over the years. In 2020, they accompanied her to the Grammy Awards, posing together as a unified family. More recently, in November, they both attended the Los Angeles premiere of Wicked, where Ariana’s full name, Ariana Grande-Butera, was used in the credits.
Grande also shared her emotional connection to the name change for Wicked, explaining, “It was such a homecoming for me… it felt like a really lovely way of honoring that. It felt really full circle.”
Her relationship with her father had been strained in the past, but Ariana confirmed that they’ve since reconciled. In fact, on her 2019 hit song “Thank U, Next,” she expressed her gratitude for both her parents in the lyrics. She even altered the lyrics when performing at the 2020 Grammys, replacing “Thanking my dad” with “He’s really awesome” to reflect their stronger bond.
Through her own efforts, Ariana has truly helped mend her family, turning a challenging situation into something positive that has left her feeling fulfilled and joyful.
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