Meet Ariana Grande's Parents! All About Her Mom Joan Grande and Dad Ed Butera (and the Subtle Way She Honored Them in “Wicked”) (2024)

Ariana Grande's mom Joan Grande and dad Ed Butera have supported her career from the beginning

Throughout her journey from Broadway and Nickelodeon star to Grammy Award winner, Ariana Grande has had the unwavering support of her parents.

Ariana was born and raised in Boca Raton, Fla., 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 November 2024, the entire family supported Ariana at the Los Angeles premiere of Wicked, in which the pop star portrays Glinda.

"What a masterpiece," Ed wrote on Instagram following the screening.

From how her mom knew she'd be a star to her reconciliation with her dad, here's everything to know about Ariana Grande's parents.

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 ex-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. Ed's bio on the social media platform 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.

Joan and Ed are Ariana's biggest fans

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."

They supported Ariana at the Wicked premiere

Ariana's family attended the Los Angeles premiere of Wicked in November 2024. Joan, Ed and Frankie posed for photos together on the red carpet before watching the pop star's highly-anticipated portrayal of Glinda.

Ariana subtly thanked her parents for their lifelong support in the credits of the movie, choosing to go by her full name, Ariana Grande-Butera.

When a journalist asked her why she chose to use her “full grown-up name," Ariana replied, "Technically, it's my little girl name."

“I just feel like this experience was such a homecoming for me," she said. "That was my name when I went to see the show when I was 10 years old, and it felt like a really lovely way of honoring that. It felt really full circle.”