Why pop star Ariana Grande has changed her name for Wicked

Ariana Grande's performance in Wicked has marked a major change for the singer, signified by one detail spotted in the end credits scene.

The pop superstar, known for hits like 7 Rings and we can't be friends, plays the beloved pink-obsessed Glinda in the upcoming movie adaption of the musical Wicked.

While the singer has become known by fans for her stage name Ariana Grande, according to E!News she's used her full birth name for the film – Ariana Grande-Butera.

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Ariana Grande has reportedly added her father's last name for the Wicked end credits. (WireImage)

Grande's last name is jointly from her parents – mother Joan Grande, and her father Edward Butera – who separated when she was young.

Over the years, the pop star has professionally used her mother's surname for her acting credits and music career, going back to her Nickelodeon days on Victorious in 2010.

The addition of Butera to her name in the Wicked end credits comes after the star reconnected with her father Edward, who is a graphic designer, in recent years.

Back in 2014, around the time Grande was breaking into the pop music scene, she did an interview with Seventeen in which she revealed she was not in contact with her dad.

"It's private, but it happened last year. It took me so long to be OK with it," she told the outlet, confirming they had broken contact in 2013.

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Grande with her parents, Joan Grande and Edward Butera. (FilmMagic)

"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," she continued.

"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 OK not to get along with somebody and still love them."

The star appeared to reconnect with her father a few years later.

According to People, three years after she said they were not in touch, the singer marked Father's Day in 2017 with a sweet message for her dad.

"I love you," she wrote in the since deleted Instagram post.

A couple of years later she mentioned their relationship in her 2018 track, thank u, next.

Then in one of the verses, the pop star sang about wanting her dad at her wedding, before she was even engaged to now ex-husband Dalton Gomez.

"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," the lyrics go.

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Grande made a public appearance with both her parents in 2020, bringing them along as her dates to the 62nd annual Grammy Awards.

The dangerous woman singer posed with both her parents on the red carpet, with Butera giving leaning over to give her a kiss on the cheek in a pictured moment.

During her performance of thank u, next at the awards show, she even changed the line referencing her dad to "I'll be thanking my dad 'cause he's really awesome". 

Butera was later present at Grande's 2021 wedding to real estate broker Gomez, as per photos of them together shared to Instagram.

Grande got married at her home in Montecito, California. She has since deleted the wedding photos from her social media following her split from Gomez earlier this year.

Grande's dad shared a throwback photo of the singer when she was younger. (Instagram/ edbutera)

In June 2022, Butera marked the star's birthday by posting a photo of them together, taken at her wedding. 

"Happy Birthday Ariana, So so proud of you for everything you do. Love Daddy," he captioned the photo, which his daughter liked on Instagram.

The father–daughter duo appear to have remained on good terms over the years, with Grande regularly liking and occasionally commenting on her dad's social media posts.

In February, Butera shared a throwback photo that appeared to be of him and Grande when she was little, prompting a sweet reaction from his daughter.

"i miss you i love you so so so much," the singer commented. 

Earlier this month on October 1, he shared another old photo of his daughter a kid.

"i love you :')" the pop star sweetly said.

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