Ariana Grande mourns the loss of grandmother ‘Nonna’ at age 99

Ariana Grande's Nonna dies at 99

Ariana Grande is mourning the loss of her beloved grandmother, Marjorie Grande—affectionately known to fans as "Nonna"—who has passed away at the age of 99.

The sad news was confirmed by Ariana's mother, Joan Grande, in a heartfelt message shared to her Instagram Story, which Ariana later reposted to her own account, reaching her 375 million followers.

“We are devastated to share that the beloved matriarch of our family has passed away,” Joan wrote in her statement. “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."

Nonna was a cherished figure in Ariana’s life and an endearing presence among her fans, frequently mentioned by the pop star and even featured in her music. Earlier this year, at the 2025 Golden Globe Awards, Ariana spoke fondly of her grandmother, revealing that after learning of her Wicked nomination, Nonna was the second person she called—right after her mother.

Marjorie’s voice is heard in the final track of Ariana's latest album Eternal Sunshine. The song, Ordinary Things (feat. Nonna), features a touching piece of advice from her grandmother: “Never go to bed without kissing goodnight. It'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."

Speaking on The Zach Sang Show in March 2024, Ariana explained, “The album starts with a question and ends with an answer from a person that I love and trust so implicitly. I cherish what my family has to share with me." She added that her grandmother was deeply moved to be part of the project. “She was very excited to be on the album, and she was very moved by it. She loved that she was there, and she told many stories about all the different times she's been on my album."

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Ariana even affectionately impersonated her grandmother, saying, “She was like, 'It's not the first time. There's been many more. I was on the first one.'"

Indeed, Marjorie's voice, along with that of her late husband Frank, also featured in Daydreamin’ from Ariana’s debut album Yours Truly, and later in Bloodline from her 2019 record Thank U, Next.

Nonna’s presence—both in Ariana’s personal life and creative work—leaves a lasting legacy of love, wisdom, and family bonds.