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Ariana Grande recently shared insights into how she played a pivotal role in mending her parents' relationship after nearly two decades of estrangement. Speaking on the February 10 episode of the WTF with Marc Maron podcast, the Wicked star opened up about how she pushed her parents, Joan Grande and Ed Butera, to reconcile despite their long-standing differences.
"They're not together, but they're best friends," she stated, emphasizing the drastic improvement in their relationship. According to Ariana, the turning point came on her 24th birthday in 2017, when she decided it was time for her parents to resolve their issues.
"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--k out,'" she recalled. "Like, 'Hello, it's been 18 years. Please get over it.' And they did."
Ariana, who earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Wicked, shared that seeing her parents reconcile has been a deeply meaningful experience. "I can't separate them. It's the best thing in the whole world," she admitted.
She reflected on how their reconciliation was transformative for her as well. "It did something to my brain, too. It was really a beautiful, healthy thing," she shared. She also noted that her parents' love for her ultimately outweighed any past conflicts. "I guess they just had some sort of beautiful conversation or realized that how much they love me is so much louder than whatever nonsense happened way back when."
Grande previously opened up about her strained relationship with her father, revealing in a 2014 Seventeen interview that losing touch with him was one of the hardest experiences of her life. "It took me so long to be okay with it," she had said at the time. However, their relationship has since healed, and she recently honored him by using her full name, Ariana Grande-Butera, in the Wicked end credits. "It was a big surprise, and he cried," she told Entertainment Tonight, calling the moment very emotional.
Ariana also reflected on how things might have been different if her parents had access to therapy. "If they had the tools, maybe they would have worked on their relationship sooner," she noted. Despite the past, she's grateful for the outcome, saying, "It was just the perfect thing... It makes me really happy."
