Frankie Grande credits his sobriety journey with bringing him and his famous family closer together.
“The six years sober has repaired my relationships with my family,” Grande, 40, shared during an interview on Today With Hoda & Jenna on Thursday, January 4. “That has been the greatest blessing of my life, is the fact that I’m the first phone call again when my sister wants to ask a question or my mother needs help with something. I’m the first phone call, which I wasn’t for years.”
Frankie, whose younger sister is Ariana Grande, noted that he felt “so blessed” at the height of his addiction because he was still able to work. “People weren’t saying, like, ‘Oh, you need to get help,’ which is great, but it’s also kind of a curse because I was like, ‘Well, no one’s telling me I need to get help,’” he explained. “So, I had to realize myself that it was time to get help.”
His “rock bottom” moment came after the suicide bombing at Ariana’s Manchester, England, concert in May 2017, which resulted in the death of 22 people. “I realized I could not show up to help my family,” he said of his mindset after the attack. “It took me further and further into using and farther and farther away from my family.”
Now six years into his sobriety, Frankie and his family are stronger than ever. He and Ariana, 30, recently had “the best holiday” with their mother, Joan, and grandmother Marjorie, a.k.a. Nonna.
“Christmas was so magical because my mom had both of her children together, which, you know, we’re both kind of busy,” Frankie said on Thursday. “So, it’s been really nice to be able to be there with her and with my grandmother, who just turned 98 years old.”
Frankie commemorated his family’s holiday celebration by posting sweet selfies with his mom and Ariana via Instagram. “Merry Christmas! 🎄❤️,” he captioned the Christmas Eve pics.
Frankie celebrated his sixth sobriety anniversary in June 2023 by taking a trip to Disneyland with friends, including Lance Bass and his husband, Michael Turchin. “Sobriety is hard for addicts like me, but when you surround yourself with incredible, supportive people and you do the work … it IS possible, no matter how far down the well you have fallen,” he captioned Instagram pics from his theme park trip. “I love you my sober sisters and my supportive family/friends. I’m so glad and so blessed I didn’t have to do this without you.”
Ariana previously praised Frankie for celebrating 20 months of sobriety in February 2019. “Man, i love u @FrankieJGrande. happy. twenty. Months,” the singer wrote in a since-deleted tweet, according to Billboard. “Been staring at this drafting n deleting bc everything i write makes me cry. just know i think you’re a superhero and u make me v proud. everyone knows how hard this is and how strong you’ve been. congratulations and thank god.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
