Edward Butera is the father of popular singer and actress Ariana Grande. He is the founder and president of the graphic design company IBI Designs, based in Boca Raton, Florida. With partnerships with notable companies and a diverse skill set in design and photography, Edward has made a name for himself in the industry. Despite a distant relationship in the past, he and Ariana have recently reconciled and now enjoy attending events and sharing moments together.
Quick Facts
- Also Known As: Edward Charles Butera
- Age: 65 Years, 65 Year Old Males
- Spouse/Ex-: Joan Grande (m. 1992–2003)
- Father: Anthony Butera
- Mother: Florence Butera
- Siblings: Maryellen, Tony Butera
- Children: Ariana Grande
- Born Country: United States
- Height: 1.73 m
- U.S. State: New Jersey
- Education: New York Institute of Technology
Family & Personal Life
Edward Butera was born on September 19, 1958 in Maplewood, New Jersey, United States. He attended New York Institute of Technology in Old Westbury, New York, and graduated with a degree in advertising and design in 1981. After graduation, he worked at various design companies in New York City before founding his own graphic design company, IBI Designs Inc., in Boca Raton, Florida in 1990.
Relationships
Edward Butera met Joan Grande in the early 1990s while working as a graphics designer in New York City. They got married in Manhattan in 1992 and moved to Boca Raton, Florida the following year. Their daughter, Ariana Grande-Butera, was born on June 26, 1993. Joan already had a son named Frankie Grande from her previous marriage. The family lived together in Boca Raton until 2002 when Edward and Joan divorced, and Edward moved out. Edward currently lives in Florida in a 2-bedroom condo with ocean-front views. He enjoys fishing and often shares pictures from his fishing trips. He has expressed his intention to teach Ariana how to fish. He also shares pictures of his pet dog Sunny on social media.
Rise to Stardom
Edward Butera first gained media attention in 2014 when Ariana Grande revealed in an interview with ‘Seventeen’ magazine that she had lost contact with her father a year ago. This was a rare admission as Ariana rarely talked about her father, who had left the family when she was eight years old. She mentioned that it took her a long time to come to terms with the fact that many of her traits come from him and that it is possible to love someone even if you don’t get along with them.
In November 2018, Ariana’s relationship with her father made news again after the release of her song ‘Thank U, Next’. While the song primarily focused on her past relationships, she also referenced her father in one section of the song. She mentioned her father at the end of the song, stating that one day she will walk down the aisle holding hands with her mother and will be thanking her father because she grew from the drama.
Since Ariana Grande opened up about their falling out in 2014, the relationship between Edward Butera and his daughter has been a topic of discussion in the tabloids. While the cause of their rift and the details of their reconciliation have not been publicly disclosed, they appear to be quite close now. Edward has posted pictures of them together on social media, and Ariana has shared photos and messages expressing her love for her father on special occasions such as Father’s Day and her birthday. They were also seen FaceTiming during the Christmas holidays in 2018, and Edward attended Ariana’s Miami show in her ‘Sweetener World Tour’ in June 2019.