“Our beloved Nonna”: Ariana Grande announces passing of grandmother Marjorie Grande in emotional family message

Ariana Grande is mourning the demise of her grandmother, Marjorie Grande, who passed away at the age of 99.

The songstress reshared her mother Joan's Instagram Stories on Tuesday, June 17, which announced the news of the matriarch's passing. Grande lovingly referred to Marjorie as “Nonna."

“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."

Ariana Grande's brother, Frankie Grande, also took to his Instagram account to pen a heartfelt tribute:

“Dearest Nonna, How can I ever thank you enough for the countless lessons you wove into my heart over the years? 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*ck about what anyone thinks, and most importantly, how to show up for family in a way so deep, so unwavering, that I promise you: I will carry that torch fiercely in your absence. No question. No option. You always called me the apple of your eye, Nonna and you have always been mine. A best friend. My safe place," it read, in part.

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Ariana Grande mourns her grandmother Marjorie's demise: a look at her life and legacy:

Ariana Grande, 31, has long been vocal about her tight bond with her grandmother. Last year, at the age of 98, she became the oldest person to ever be featured on a Billboard Hot 100-charting single, given her contribution to the singer's "Ordinary Things" track.

“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 sang in Ordinary Things, referring to her late husband. “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? / It very easy, and as I told her.”

She also gave fans some advice:

“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.”

As for Ariana Grande, she promptly took to social media to celebrate her grandmother's feat. She captioned a photo of herself and her grandmother at the time:

“Celebrating the one and only, most beautiful Nonna who has now made history for being the senior most person to ever appear on the @billboard Hot100. We love and thank you”

Nonna also made cameos on the latter's "Daydreamin" from Grande's Yours Truly and "Bloodline" from Thank U, Next. Ariana Grande said during a March 2024 appearance on The Zach Sang Show:

“She was very excited to be on the album and she was very moved by it [...] And she loved that she was there. And she told many stories about all the different times she’s been on my albums.”

Back in November, on the heels of her film Wicked's debut, she took to her Instagram account to share a sweet moment with the matriarch. In it, the two could be seen watching the film in their hometown of Boca Raton, Florida.

She captioned the stories at the time:

"Flew to Boca for a day to watch with Nonna [...] At the movie theater I grew up going to every weekend, Cinemark 20 in Boca."

She also tagged her brother in the story.

"Thrilled to report that when the sugar glider had her drum solo Nonna exclaimed loudly, 'Oh I LOVE that,'" Ariana Grande shared in another story.

Back in October, the family celebrated its matriarch's 99th birthday. At the time, Frankie took to Instagram to share a picture of him, Ariana Grande, their mother, and his husband, Hale Leon, alongside Marjorie. Both siblings were seen clutching balloons of the number 9.

"Happy 99th birthday to the Queen… NONNA! 🎈 9️⃣9️⃣🎉," Frankie captioned the post. "I love you so much and I couldn’t feel more blessed to celebrate this unbelievable milestone with you and our beautiful family. 💖 Wow. Happy happy happy Birthday! 🎂I love you with all of my heart! 🥳🥰."

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