Inside Ariana Grande’s adorable (but devastating) relationship with older brother Frankie

As she is out bringing popularity to the masses in Wicked, Ariana Grande is supported by Cynthia Erivo’s PDA and her older brother Frankie Grande.

Ariana Grande’s life has been hectic in 2024. Between dodging accusations of homewrecking and going viral for just about every Wicked interview, Ariana has barely had time to check her Spotify Wrapped. It’s fine though, she’s had big brother Frankie by her side the entire time.

Ariana Grande and Frankie are half-siblings

Though most of us know that Frankie Grande is Ariana’s brother, I was shocked to learn that they are, in fact, half-siblings, with both having a different father. Their mother Joan Grande was initially married to Frankie’s dad, doctor Victor Marchione, before separating and marrying Ariana’s father, Edward Butera. Sadly, they too divorced in 2003.

Nonetheless, being half-siblings has never impacted their relationship as Frankie earlier gushed in a tribute on National Siblings Day.

“On #NationalSiblingDay, I want to take a moment to thank the BEST sister in the world for being there for me through thick and thin. From helping me with my sobriety journey to showing up for me at big moments in my life and career,” he said. “You are the best sister anyone could ask for and I’m eternally proud of you and all the sunshine you continue to spread in this world.”

They’ve had their fair share of sibling struggles

As we’ve seen in Wicked with the bond between Elphaba and Nessarose, sibling relationships are not always easy. A notably hard time came after Frankie’s rise to fame on Big Brother when he was subjected to homophobic attacks and cruel social media abuse. Turning to drink and drugs, his relationship with Ariana suffered.

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“I chose to spend more time drinking and drugging and partying than having relationships with my family,” Frankie explained on Confess Your Mess. “It wasn’t ever like, ‘screw you, I’m not talking to you anymore.’ It was just kind of like I started to disappear.”

A turning point for Frankie was in 2017 when his sister “needed me most” following the Manchester Arena terrorist attack that left 22 people dead. He has been sober ever since.

They share a mutual love for musicals and more

With a ten-year age gap, Frankie and Ariana found common ground in a mutual love of musicals, Harry Potter, and lots of glitter it seems.

“We always, always bonded over that,” Frankie explained on the Confess Your Mess podcast in 2022, noting that some of their favourites included Little Shop of Horrors, Wicked (of course) and Avenue Q. Both have since dedicated a considerable amount of time to the world of music theatre, with Frankie often writing and producing his own shows.

Long-time Arianators know that their idol also has a passion for Harry Potter, having once written a song for Slytherin bad-boy Draco Malfoy, and Frankie Grande is no different. You might also catch the siblings binging seasons of America’s Next Top Model.

Frankie has supported his sister through the Wicked Phenomenon

Though Ariana Grande has a solid bank of acting work under her belt, Wicked is undoubtedly the biggest project she has ever been attached to. Though thankfully we know that the Wicked set was the ultimate safe space, if it did turn into the set from hell, we know that Frankie would have been his sister’s rock.

Not only was Frankie’s Spotify Wrapped dominated by Wicked, but his Instagram became awash in shades of pink and green in November as he attended various showings of the film over and over again.

“My sister is EVERYTHING in this movie. I can’t heap enough praise on her and the entire cast and crew. Like this is literally the best movie I have ever seen. I belly laughed, I cried, I sung. I experienced every possible emotion, and I’m BEYOND excited to hear what y’all thing of it too,” he penned in one recent post.

That love doesn’t work one way

It’s not difficult to imagine why you’d love Ariana Grande as your little sister – I mean, she’s literally Ariana Grande – but that love doesn’t just work one way.

Speaking Attitude about his coming out process, Frankie said his little sis didn’t bat an eye, explaining: “There’s a 10-year age gap and I came out to her when she was just 11 years old — and she said: ‘Great, when do I get to meet your boyfriend?'”

“She was raised in a family where gay was not only accepted, it was celebrated,” he added. “The fact that some people are in families who throw them out because they’re gay or they’re being told they’re wrong because of who they are, it’s a tragedy and both she and I feel it’s our responsibility to educate those people and help them see that we’re all the same.”

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Featured image credit: Universal Pictures/Frankie Grande