Ariana Grande‘s beloved grandmother Marjorie Grande, lovingly referred to as Nonna, has passed away.
That’s according to Ari’s Instagram Story. “We are devastated to share that the beloved matriarch of our family has passed away,” the Story says. “Marjorie (Nonna) Grande passed peacefully in her home and was surrounded by her family and loved ones for every moment of the 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 message is signed, “Love, The Grandes.” It was also shared on Ariana’s mother Joan’s Story, along with the words, “I LOVE YOU MOM.”
Ariana and her nonna were extremely close; in November Ari flew to her hometown theater in Boca Raton, Florida, to see Wicked with her. At the time, she posted a video of her grandmother taking in the movie. It showed Nonna watching the film’s rendition of the song “Popular,” smiling and clapping at the song’s conclusion.
In March 2024, at the age of 98, Marjorie became the oldest living person to appear on the Billboard Hot 100 chart since the chart’s inception in August 1958, thanks to her feature on Ariana’s song “ordinary things” from her album eternal sunshine.
In April 2024 Ari posted a photo of Marjorie holding a framed plaque celebrating her milestone. It had the Billboard Hot 100 chart placement of “ordinary things” and an inscription commemorating the achievement.
Marjorie can be heard on the song reminiscing about her late husband, Frank, and how much she loved him. She advises, “Never go to bed without kissing 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.”
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