Ariana Grande angers Jeffrey Dahmer’s victim’s family by calling him 'fascinating’

Ariana Grande recently found herself in the midst of controversy following remarks she made on a podcast regarding her fascination with notorious serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer from the 1990s. The singer's casual mention of wanting to dine with Dahmer stirred strong reactions, particularly from those directly affected by his crimes, including the family of victim Tony Hughes.

Shirley Hughes, sister of Tony Hughes, voiced her dismay publicly, describing Grande's comments as disturbing and insensitive. Hughes said, “To me, it seems like she’s sick in her mind. It’s not fancy or funny to say you would have wanted to do dinner with him. It’s also not something you should say to young people, which she says she did”.

Tony Hughes was tragically killed by Dahmer at the age of 31 in 1991. Another of Tony's sisters, Barbara, echoed Shirley's sentiments, emphasising that Grande's words trivialised the gravity of Dahmer's atrocities. Barbara stressed the importance of celebrities like Grande being mindful of their influence, as such remarks can inadvertently glorify heinous acts. She also called for Grande to issue a sincere apology to those offended by her comments and to use her platform responsibly to educate her fan base about the seriousness of such topics.

Earlier this month, Grande discussed her past fascination with serial killers during an appearance on the Podcrushed podcast hosted by Penn Badgley. She recounted how, in her youth, she found Dahmer particularly intriguing, “I was like, ‘I mean, Jeffrey Dahmer is pretty fascinating. I think I would have loved to have met him. Y’know, maybe with a third party or someone involved. But I have questions”.