Ariana Grande has revealed her grandmother -affectionately known as Nonna Marjorie – has died aged 99.
The Wicked star, Ariana Grande, 31, took to Instagram to announce the heartbreaking news, sharing a post from mom Joan reading: ‘We are devastated to share that the beloved matriarch of our family has passed away.
‘Marjorie (Nonna) Grande passed peacefully in her home and was surrounded by her family and loved ones for every moment of her last few weeks
‘We thank you for your love, support and for respecting our privacy as we grieve and celebrate her beautiful, extraordinary life.’
The singer shared a close bond with her family’s beloved matriarch, who she credited with getting her started in showbusiness.
The God is A Woman hitmaker’s grandma famously encouraged her to audition for the lead role in a Florida-based production of the musical Annie.
This early encouragement led Ariana Grande to land the lead role in Annie and fostered her passion for performing.
Nonna frequently accompanied Ariana Grande to award shows and red carpet events, including the VMAs and the American Music Awards
Marjorie even broke the record as the oldest person to appear on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for her contribution to Ariana’s song, Ordinary Things, released last year.
Marjorie can be heard on the track’s outro reminiscing about her late husband Frank, who passed away in 2014 at 90 years of age.
The Ordinary Things track is the final one on her 13-song album, with Nonna closing out the entire album with her thoughts on Ariana’s late grandfather.
‘And when he’d come home, and I’d see him / When he first gets off that train / It was like God almighty arrived / It was like seeing daylight,’ Nonna said in the song.
‘I mean, I could’ve packed up and left a million times, you know? / It’s not that we never fought, you can overcome that, you know?’ she added.
Nonna concluded with some sage advice, adding, ‘It is very easy, and as I told her / Never go to bed without kissin’ goodnight / That’s the worst thing to do, don’t ever, ever do that / And if you can’t, and if you don’t feel comfortable doing it / You’re in the wrong place, get out.’
Nonna also appeared on Daydreamin’ from 2013’s Yours Truly and Bloodline from 2019’s Thank U, Next.
At the time, Ariana revealed that her grandma was ‘very excited to be on the album and she was very moved by it.’
‘She loved that she was there. And she told many stories about all the different times she’s been on my albums,’ the performer gushed while appearing on The Zach Sang Show.
In 2018, the pair got tattoos together to celebrate Ariana’s Woman of the Year award.
In November, Ariana revealed that she flew to her hometown theater in Boca Raton, Florida to watch her film, Wicked, with Nonna.
To mark the occasion, she shared a video of Nonna smiling and clapping as she watched her star in one of the biggest movies of 2024 to her Instagram Story.
Ariana’s brother, Frankie Grande, also paid tribute to his grandmother with a heartwarming Instagram tribute.
‘Dearest Nonna, How can I ever thank you enough for the countless lessons you wove into my heart over the years?’ he captioned a slideshow of sweet photos of them together. ‘You taught me how to love without conditions, how to dominate a three-card poker table, how to never ever take a bad picture, how to light up a dinner party just by being in the room, how to give the warmest, safest hugs, how to stand in my truth unapologetically, how to not give a single f**k about what anyone thinks.’
He went on to share that the most important lesson she imparted to him was ‘how to show up for family’ in such a deep and ‘unwavering’ way.
‘I will carry that torch fiercely in your absence. No question. No option,’ he vowed. ‘You always called me the apple of your eye, Nonna and you have always been mine. A best friend. My safe place.’
He continued: ‘I love you endlessly, my sweet Nonna. I miss you more than words can hold. My heart is shattered, but I feel you watching over me, already so proud of everything I’ve done and all that is about to come.’
Frankie concluded his emotional post by writing: ‘Thank you for every moment, every lesson, every hug, every belly laugh. Until we meet again, and we will, please kiss Grandpa and Aunt Judy for me, and tell them how much I love and miss them too.’