Real reason Ariana Grande just changed her name back to her real one

Cinema-goers have been blindsided by an unexpected change made to Ariana Grande's full title, which appears during Wicked's rolling credits.

Despite being born 'Ariana Grande-Butera' - a combination of her mother, Joan Grande's, and father, Edward Butera's names - the much-loved star dropped the latter section of her name as a pre-teen.

So, when she later skyrocketed into the spotlight as a child star on Nickelodeon's Victorious, going on to bag a further role in children's hit series Sam and Cat, she simply went by the moniker Ariana Grande.

And in the years that followed,when she went on to become one of America's most successful musicians, selling over 90 million records worldwide, she opted to keep this single last name.

After her latest project Wicked landed in cinemas last month, however (22 November), viewers noticed that she'd added 'Butera' to her credit again, prompting some fans' curiosity over why it was ever dropped in the first place.

It turns out that the 'Thank U Next' singer fell out of touch with her dad back in 2013, just a few years after he and her mother went their separate ways.

Ariana, now 31, was just eight when her parents divorced, though her relationship with her graphic designer father broke down slowly afterwards.

Ariana and her parents, Joan Grande and Edward Butera (Amy Sussman/Getty Images)

Speaking to Seventeen Magazine about their estrangement in 2017, she described her connection to her father as complicated.

She said at the time: "It’s private… It took me so long to be OK with it.

"So much of me comes from my father, and for so long, I didn’t like that about myself."

The 'Side to Side' chart-topper added: "I had to accept that it’s OK not to get along with somebody and still love them."

In the years since her emotional admission, however, it sounds as though the father-daughter duo have been able to repair their relationship.

Ariana invited both of her parents along to the 62nd Grammy Awards back in 2020.

Butera was also present at her wedding to her now-ex-husband, real estate agent Dalton Gomez, in 2021, and, as we say, her latest project of Wicked has seen another tribute to her dad.

Her portrayal of Glinda the Good Witch has seen Ariana heaped in praise over her unexpectedly 'funny' performance.

Despite the largely positive reception, however, the film has also faced some backlash over director Jon M. Chu decision to split the film into two parts.

Ariana plays Glinda in the production (Universal)

Wicked Part Two will be released in November 2025, so it's going to be a long wait for eager fans.

Explaining the reasoning behind the decision in a statement, the director said: "We decided to give ourselves a bigger canvas and make not just one ‘Wicked’ movie but two!

"With more space, we can tell the story of ‘Wicked’ as it was meant to be told while bringing even more depth and surprise to the journeys for these beloved characters.”

Talking about their off-screen relationship in an interview with Vanity Fair, Ariana's co-star, Elphaba actress Cynthia Erivo said: "We needed real connection, and we needed to lead this with love—even in the moments that are supposed to be fraught with tension within the piece.”

Grande added: "We communicated like the f***ing champions of communication of the world."