Ariana Grande shares sad personal news with fans

The singer and Wicked star has taken to social media to reveal she is “devastated” after a sad update in her personal life.

Ariana Grande’s beloved grandma Marjorie Grande, whom she affectionately called “Nonna,” has died. She was 99 years old.

“We are devastated to share that the beloved matriarch of our family has passed away,” read a family statement posted to the singer’s Instagram Stories on Tuesday.

“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 respecting our privacy as we grieve and celebrate her beautiful, extraordinary life,” they concluded.

Ariana Grande has announced the sad passing of her beloved 'nonna' Marjorie.

Grande shared a photo of Marjorie on her wedding day to Instagram, simply captioning it, “forever”.

The singer, 31, has enjoyed a long and close relationship with her grandmother, who has attended several awards shows with the pop star in the past.

In October 2024, Ariana and her family, including her brother, Frankie Grande, came together to celebrate the matriarch’s 99th birthday.

“Happy 99th birthday to the Queen … NONNA! I love you so much and I couldn’t feel more blessed to celebrate this unbelievable milestone with you and our beautiful family,” Frankie wrote on Instagram alongside their sweet family photo.

“Wow. Happy happy happy Birthday! I love you with all of my heart!”

The Grande family celebrated Marjorie's 99th birthday in October last year.

Last year, Marjorie made history as the oldest person to ever appear on the Billboard Hot 100 after Ariana featured her on Ordinary Things, which appears on the 2024 album, Eternal Sunshine.

Nonna’s voice appears at the end of the song as she answers Ariana’s question: “How can I tell if I’m in the right relationship?”

“Never go to bed without kissing goodnight. That’s the worst thing to do,” Marjorie says on the song.

“Don’t ever 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.”

Marjorie also had uncredited features on Ariana’s 2013 song daydreamin’ as well as 2019’s bloodline.

Marjorie Grande and Ariana Grande at the 2016 Time 100 Gala in New York. Picture: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Time

Back in November, the two-time Grammy winner celebrated her performance as Glinda in Wicked by flying to her hometown of Boca Raton, Florida, to watch the blockbuster film with Marjorie, Frankie and Ariana’s boyfriend, Ethan Slater.

“Flew to boca for a day to watch with Nonna at the movie theatre I grew up going to every weekend, Cinemark 20 in Boca,” Ariana shared on her Instagram Stories at the time.

“Thrilled to report that when the sugar glider had her drum solo nonna exclaimed loudly ‘oh I LOVE that’ @jonmchu,” she wrote on another photo, tagging the film’s director.

Marjorie — who is the mother of Ariana’s mum, Joan — encouraged her granddaughter’s talent from an early age.

In 2014, the matriarch shared that she once urged the singer to audition for a part in a Boca Raton production of Annie.

“I said, you know, Ariana could do that,” she shared on Today.

“She became the star. She auditioned, and she became Annie.”

This story originally appeared on New York Post and was reproduced with permission

Originally published as Ariana Grande shares sad personal news with fans