Ariana Grande’s mom Joan Grande, dad Ed Butera and brother Frankie Grande are her biggest fans

Throughout her journey from Broadway and Nickelodeon star to Grammy Award winner, Ariana Grande has had the unwavering support of her mother, Joan Grande, and her half-brother, Frankie Grande.

Ariana was born and raised in Boca Raton, Florida, where her father’s graphic design practice and Joan’s communications equipment company are based. The singer’s parents split when she was young, and her relationship with her father, Ed Butera, has had its ups and downs. In July 2014, Ariana told Seventeen that she’d fallen out of touch with him the year prior. The two have since reconciled, and Ed joined Ariana and Joan on the red carpet at the 2020 Grammy Awards.

The “Thank U, Next” singer is particularly close with her brother Frankie, whom Joan welcomed with her first husband Victor Marchione. In addition to sharing a parent, Ariana and Frankie also share a passion for singing and acting. He’s performed in Broadway and off-Broadway productions, competed on the reality show Big Brother and released music of his own.

In an Instagram tribute for Ariana’s 27th birthday in June 2020, Frankie referred to his sister as his “best friend in the world.”

“I will forever be eternally grateful to you for being the greatest sister on the planet and forever strive to be the greatest big brother in return,” he wrote.

From her early days with her parents to her sweet relationship with her brother, here’s everything to know about Ariana Grande’s family: Joan Grande, Ed Butera and Frankie Grande.

Joan realized Ariana could sing when she was 3 years old

Joan realized her daughter had quite the musical gift when Ariana was just a toddler.

“She was probably 3, 3½,” the pop star’s mom once recalled to PEOPLE. “And she was in her car seat and I was driving and listening to NSYNC as every mother should be. She hit one of JC [Chasez]’s power high notes and I kind of pulled the car over and I said, ‘Ariana, was that you?’ ”

Joan laughed and added, “She didn’t know. She thought everybody sounds like that.”

Joan and Ed split when Ariana was young

Ariana’s parents split when she was 8, according to Entertainment Tonight. The pop star references their marriage in the lyrics of her 2018 hit “Thank U, Next,” when she sings, “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.”

Despite their past conflict, Joan and Ed have since spent time together at family gatherings. In November 2021, they both celebrated Thanksgiving with Ariana, her husband Dalton Gomez and some friends. Ariana shared an Instagram post featuring snapshots of the evening, including one where Joan and Ed are playing a card game together.

“Nothing was ever as loud,” Ariana captioned the post. “Sending you all so much love i hope you feel it from here.”

Ariana fell out of touch with Ed, but they later reconciled

During her 2014 Seventeen interview, Ariana shared that she was estranged from her father at the time. “It’s private, but it happened last year,” she said. “It took me so long to be okay with it. The thing that got me there was embracing the fact that I am made up of half my dad, and a lot of my traits come from him.”

The singer continued: “So much of me comes from my father, and for so long, I didn’t like that about myself. I had to accept that it’s okay not to get along with somebody and still love them.”

There appeared to be a turning point in their relationship before her 2020 Grammys performance, where Ariana changed the “Thank U, Next” lyrics to: “I’ll be thanking my dad / ‘Cause he’s really awesome.” Since she sang the revised version, the two have celebrated holidays together and expressed their love on social media.

“I love you endlessly @edbutera,” Ariana captioned a baby photo with her father in June 2021. “I cherish every moment of our time together, i cherish our facetimes, your laugh ! making you laugh ! i cherish the parts of me that remind me of you (there are very many).”

She added: “I am deeply grateful for your being in my life and proud to be your daughter everyday ~ happy father’s day.”Joan is a multifaceted businesswoman

When she’s not cheering on her kids, Joan is working as president and CEO of Hose-McCann Communications. On its website, HMC describes its team as “leaders in the marine industry” and notes that its customers include the U.S. and Canadian coast guards, the U.S. Navy and other “leading maritime nations.”

Joan also collaborates with her son Frankie on their production company, Diamond Dog Entertainment. Per DDE’s website, the company nurtures talent and invests in “diverse projects that seek to change the landscape of the entertainment world.” Some of its projects include the witty horror film Summoning Sylvia (also starring Frankie) and Titanique The Musical, a comedic retelling of Titanic through the lens and music of Céline Dion.

Joan was with Ariana at the 2017 Manchester bombing

Joan was present at her daughter’s May 2017 concert in Manchester, where a bomber killed 22 people and injured more than 500 at Ariana’s Dangerous Woman Tour stop in the U.K. city.

While speaking with Elle in 2018, Joan opened up about the terrifying moments following the terror attack. “I was like a fish swimming in the wrong direction. Everyone was leaving, and I was going toward the stage,” she said. “I didn’t know where I was going. I just knew I was going to my daughter. Not to be overly dramatic — I struggle with this every day — but I didn’t know what I would find when I got to her. I sympathize with every parent who was waiting for a child. Those minutes when you don’t know what’s happening…there are no words.”

After the bombing, Joan and Ariana returned to their hometown in Florida, where Ariana immediately started planning the One Love Manchester benefit concert.

“It was two or three in the morning; she crawled into bed and said, ‘Mom, let’s be honest, I’m never not going to sing again. But I’m not going to sing again until I sing in Manchester first,’ ” Joan recalled to the outlet. The concert was held in Manchester less than two weeks later, and raised $23 million for charity.

Ed is a graphic designer and photographer

Ed is a graphic designer, photographer and owner of Ibi Designs, a South Florida-based creative studio. Per the company’s website, he founded the agency in 1992 and has since produced a variety of award-winning websites, graphics and photography.

Ariana’s father occasionally shares his work on Instagram, where he has nearly 180,000 followers. Ed’s bio on the app reads: “Father, Artist, Graphic Designer, Photographer and Avid Angler.”

Ariana took her parents to the 2020 Grammys

Ariana performed and was nominated for five awards at the 2020 Grammys, and she brought her parents along for the special evening. On the red carpet, the singer posed in her gray Giambattista Valli Haute Couture gown with one arm around each parent while Joan grinned and Ed gave her a kiss on the cheek.

Frankie is an actor, singer, social media personality and producer

Ariana’s brother has an impressive résumé of his own. He took the Broadway stage in Mamma Mia! from 2007 to 2010 and in Rock of Ages from 2014 to 2015. He’s also graced the off-Broadway stage in Cruel Intentions: The ’90s Musical and Titanique. In 2014, Frankie ventured into reality TV and competed on Big Brother 16.

Ahead of the show, he spoke to PEOPLE about his strategy: “I don’t want people knowing that I have a social media following and that Ariana Grande is my sister because I feel like both of those things will put an unnecessary target on my back.” When the right time came along, Frankie revealed his identity to his fellow contestants. He also later competed on the U.K.’s Celebrity Big Brother in 2016.

The actor works with Joan at Diamond Dog Entertainment, and he has starred in several of its projects including Summoning Sylvia and Horror Camp: A Musical Massacre. When he’s not working in entertainment, Frankie serves as a board member of the LGBTQ+ advocacy group GLAAD and does philanthropy work with organizations like buildOn, the Los Angeles LGBT Center and the performing arts education charity Broadway in South Africa, of which he is also a co-founder.

Frankie is also a popular YouTuber with nearly 450,000 subscribers, and he posts personal vlog content, music and more. The performer also shares personal and promotional content on Instagram with his more than two million followers.

As for his personal life, Frankie married fellow performer Hale Leon in May 2022. Their small, Star Wars-themed ceremony was held at the Grande family home in Boca Raton, Florida, and officiated by Joan.

Ariana and Frankie have collaborated on his YouTube channel

Ariana and Frankie have collaborated on several occasions, mostly in joint appearances on Frankie’s YouTube channel. The two have made a variety of videos, including comedic sketches, vlog-style content, Q&A videos and song covers. In December 2018, they covered “Seasons of Love” from the musical Rent; Frankie took the lead vocals while Ariana harmonized and produced the vocal tracks.

“I am beyond honored to have worked on this incredible project with my best friends in the world including my wonderful sister,” Frankie wrote in the video description. “Thank you Ariana for vocal producing as well as adding your magical voice to this beautiful song.”

In a December 2019 interview with Entertainment Tonight, Frankie noted that he and Ariana were still “very much in [their] own lanes” but really enjoy working together. He called their “Seasons of Love” collaboration “beautiful.” “Whether or not something like [another collaboration] happens in the future, I’m sure it will,” he said.

Joan, Ed and Frankie are Ariana’s biggest fans

Ariana’s family couldn’t be more proud of the talented singer. In November 2021, when she booked the role of Glinda in the two-part film adaptation of the Broadway musical Wicked, Frankie shed happy tears for his sister.

“I remember when she told me that she booked it, we just both burst into tears together,” he recalled to E! News in March 2023. “Because it was something that she had been dreaming of her entire life.”

Joan is often by her daughter’s side at industry events, interviews and concerts, and she regularly supports Ariana online, too. “I am so mf proud of my daughter for a million reasons..but to name a few she stepped out & owned the red carpet TWICE,” the producer tweeted after joining her daughter at the 2020 Grammys. “She gave a phenomenal performance, she owned sitting in her seat during the show showing true warmth, sincerity & respect … & she had a great time! Ariana won!”

Ed has also expressed his pride for his daughter on social media. On Ariana’s 29th birthday, he posted an Instagram photo of them together at her wedding and wrote, “Happy Birthday Ariana, So so proud of you for everything you do. Love Daddy.”

Source: https://people.com