Ariana Grande revealed on Tuesday that she hasn’t yet said “thank u, next” to her estranged father, Edward Butera. The singer shared an image on social media of herself on a Christmas FaceTime call with Butera, whom she lost contact with after he left her mother years ago, E! News reported.
The black and white image, which appeared on Grande’s Instagram Stories, showed Butera’s smiling as pictured on Grande’s phone. The singer snapped the photo with another phone, revealing a Christmas tree in the background and a festive candle lit on the table beside her.
Grande did not say much else about the call, but the contact with her father raised questions about their relationship. These questions are spurred by the fact that she mentioned him just a few weeks ago on her hit single “Thank U, Next.”
“One day I’ll walk down the aisle / holding hands with my mama / I’ll be thanking my dad ’cause she grew from the drama,” she sang on the track.
Grande also previously revealed to Seventeen — in 2014 — that she and Butera had a falling out, and it was “the toughest thing she ever had to deal with.”
“It took me so long to be okay with it. The thing that got me there was embracing the fact that that I am made up of half my dad, and a lot of my traits come from him,” the 25-year-old pop singer explained. “So much of me comes from my father, and for so long, I didn’t like that about myself. I had to accept that it’s okay not to get along with somebody and still love them.”
Butera and Grande’s mother, Joan, reportedly split when Grande was 8, according to Entertainment Tonight. Butera is now a Florida-based graphic designer.
Grande did shout out her father in 2017 for Father’s Day, telling him that she loves him with a photo on Instagram. The photo showed Butera holding his daughter as a baby.
“Happy Father’s Day I love you,” the caption read.
In addition to reaching out to her father for the holiday, Grande shared a message with her fans. On Christmas Eve, she shared another black and white photo — on Instagram — of herself smiling with close friends. She penned a sweet note in the caption.
“Merry christmas eve y’all!sending you all the love and light there is,” Grande said. “Holidays can be super tough sometimes. sending an extra hug to those who need one. love u always & am so looking forward to sharing next year with u on the road. for now, imma stick w these queens who somehow always know how to make sense of it all. take care of yourselves.”
