Ariana Grande has opened up about her role in helping her parents, Joan Grande and Edward Butera, mend their relationship after they divorced. On a recent episode of the WTF with Marc Maron podcast, the singer-actress shared how she took it upon herself to “force” her parents to become friends again.
“My parents aren’t together, but they’re best friends now. It took 18 years, and it took me forcing it,” Ariana said, recalling the pivotal moment around her birthday in 2017 when she decided to intervene. “I just remember being at this point where I was like, ‘You guys, I love you both so much. It’s been such a long time. Figure it out.'”
She laughed, adding, “Like, hello, it’s been 18 years. I’m 80 now. Please get over it.” Ariana’s plea seemed to work, as she proudly shared that her parents, Joan (67) and Ed (66), are now incredibly close. “I can’t separate them. It’s the best thing in the world,” she said. “They just had a beautiful conversation, or realised that how much they love me is louder than whatever nonsense happened years ago.”
The 7 Rings singer also reflected on how modern tools like therapy have made a difference in handling conflicts, saying, “If only they had the tools that we have now, maybe it could have happened sooner. But it was just perfect.”
Ariana’s parents continue to show their support, and they’ve often been seen together at key events in her life. In 2020, the trio posed together at the Grammy Awards, and just last November, they attended the Wicked premiere in Los Angeles to cheer on Ariana, who stars in the upcoming film.
Ariana shared that it felt like a “homecoming” to be involved with Wicked, as her name used to be Ariana Grande-Butera, which she fondly remembered from her childhood visits to the show. “It felt really full circle,” she added
