Truth of Ariana Grande’s Name Change in ‘Wicked’ is Linked to Her Roller-Coaster Relationship With Dad Edward Butera

The much-anticipated movie adaptation of the Broadway musical Wicked is about to hit theaters. The film directed by Jon M. Chu features Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, the latter in the role of Galinda, who later becomes Glinda the Good Witch of the North.

However, apart from being one of the protagonists, Grande has attracted her fans’ attention with her name change for Wicked credits. This change is also important as it deals with issues related to her family and her complex relationship with her father, which has manifested both off-screen and in her career.

Ariana Grande Uses Her Father’s Name for Wicked Credits

According to Pop Crave, Ariana Grande, who usually performs under her usual name, has used her full name, Ariana Grande-Butera, for Wicked. This decision carries extra weight because of her family background and what she has been through with her parents, especially her father.

Grande comes from an accomplished family. Her mother, Joan Grande, is the CEO of Hose-McCann Communications, a firm that manufactures equipment for the Marines and Navy. Grande once referred to her mother as “the most badass, independent woman you’ll ever meet” in a conversation with Complex.

On the other hand, her father, Edward Butera, has a creative studio that goes by the name of Ibi Designs, where he is a graphic designer and photographer.

Grande’s parents separated when she was eight, and she developed a complicated relationship with her father that would extend for years. Her parents’ separation brought a kind of complication in her life, which the singer translated into her music later.

Although the reason for her parents’ separation is unknown, Grande’s relationship with her father went through its most turbulent phase when she was a teenager. During an interview with Seventeen magazine in 2014, she revealed, 

Falling out of touch with my dad. It’s private, but it happened last year. It took me so long to be OK with it.

However, in the last few years, the father-daughter relationship has evolved for the better. Butera accompanied his daughter at the 2020 Grammy Awards and was also present during her wedding to ex-husband Dalton Gomez in 2021, which suggests a new chapter in their relationship.

Ariana Grande Used Father-Daughter Dynamics in Her Music

Grande’s relationship with her father has been an inspiration for her music. In her song Thank U, Next, the lyrics “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” give listeners a glimpse of the relationship between the two.

This also shows that accepting her relationship with her father was not an easy process. In her Seventeen interview, Grande shared a crucial realization,

The thing that got me there was embracing the fact that I am made up of half my dad, and a lot of my traits come from him.

This acceptance brought new changes in their relationship. Although Grande might not be as close with her father as her mother, she seems to have found peace with their dynamics. “I had to accept that it’s okay not to get along with somebody and still love them,” she told Seventeen.

Regardless of what her songs might have suggested, Ariana Grande’s words show that families can change and grow, and it does not have to be perfect and involve traditional ways always.

Wicked will be released in theaters on November 22, 2024.