Ariana Grande’s Family Is Paying Tribute to Her Beloved ‘Nonna’ After Passing

Ariana Grande is all about love and light, but the “Wicked” actor’s family recently shared some sad news. Unfortunately, Ariana Grande’s grandmother, whom she called Nonna, has sadly passed away at the age of 99. 

According to PEOPLE, the singer’s mother took to her Instagram stories on June 17th to announce the news. She said in the post, “We are devastated to share that the beloved matriarch of our family has passed away.” 

The post continued, “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.”

Ariana Grande’s brother, Frankie, also took to the platform to pay tribute to their Nonna. He said, “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.”

Ariana Grande’s Nonna Appeared On One Of Her Songs

According to Entertainment Tonight, Ariana Grande’s grandmother appeared on her “Eternal Sunshine” album from 2024. Specifically, she is on the song “Ordinary Things” and has a featured artist credit. The album itself opened at number one on the Billboard 200 chart. 

Regarding “Ordinary Things,” it debuted at number 55 on the Billboard 100 in its initial week. Because of this, Ariana Grande’s Nonna became the senior-most artist to ever make the chart, a distinction previously held by Fred Stobaugh. 

In the song, Nonna offers Ariana valuable advice toward the end. She says, “Never go to bed without kissin’ goodnight. That’s the worst thing to do; don’t ever, ever do that. And if you don’t feel comfortable doing it, you’re in the wrong place — get out.”

Ariana Loved Recording With Her Grandmother

While promoting “Eternal Sunshine,” the “Wicked” actor spoke about her decision to record with her grandmother. She told Zane Lowe from Apple Music, “I always record my Nonna, because you never know what she’s going to say.”

Ariana Grande continued, “I had this 30-minute voice note of her and her friend Shirley talking… I think it’s a little bit of, ‘Wow, our loved ones, our friends, and our family have the ability to instantly just sort of soothe and calm and simplify things that are so complicated and heavy at times.'”

Nonna has also been on other Ariana Grande songs. They include “Daydreamin” and “Bloodline” from her 2013 and 2019 albums, respectively.