Ariana Grande changed her name back to her full birth name in the credits of her new film Wicked after reconnecting with her father.
According to E! News, the movie credits will now read ‘Ariana Grande-Butera’ as the epic musical fantasy picture begins and ends.
The Thank U, Next singer’s full name combines her mother’s surname, Joan Grande, with her father’s surname, Ed Butera.
The name change comes after the hitmaker and her estranged father reconciled their relationship after losing touch in 2013.
Grande’s graphic designer father split from her mother, Joan, when the star was eight.
The singer, songwriter and actress was born Ariana Grande-Butera on June 26, 1993, in Boca Raton, Florida.
Her family moved from New York to the Sunshine State before her birth, but later her parents separated.
As a result of their family dynamic, she chose to use her mother’s last name, Grande, professionally, although some people suspect her close bond with her maternal grandmother, Marjorie Grande, may have also played a role in the name change.
While there isn’t a specific date recorded where she formally changed her professional name, she simply started using ‘Ariana Grande’ primarily for her music and acting career some where around the late 2000s or early 2010s.
Eventually, the We Can’t Be Friends singer and her father fell out of touch and became estranged by 2013.
But in more recent years father and daughter have reconnected and appear to be on a much more positive path forward in their lives.
