Ariana Grande shared a sweet moment with her father Ed Butera on the set of her newly-released short film, Brighter Days Ahead.
Grande, 31, posted a slew of behind-the-scenes photos from the short film, which included a heartwarming snap of her bonding with her father, who appears in the movie.
Butera, 66, sweetly kissed his smiling daughter on the forehead as they stood before a trailer, both in costume.
While much of Ariana’s costume was covered by a robe (save for the various markings drawn on her face and neck), her father was unrecognizable with a bushy beard and long wavy locks.
The sweet photo is particular poignant considering how far Ariana has come in improving her relationship with her father since their previous estrangement.
The 26-minute long film is included in Ariana’s new deluxe edition of her 2024 album Eternal Sunshine, Eternal Sunshine Deluxe: Brighter Days Ahead.
Ariana Grande shared a sweet moment with her father Ed Butera on the set of her newly-released short film, Brighter Days Ahead
The film sees the actress return to her role of Peaches, whom she first debuted in the 2024 music video for her hit song We Can’t Be Friends (Wait For Your Love).
The short film takes a deeper dive into the premise of last year’s video – which took inspiration from the 2004 movie Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind – as Peaches goes to a clinic to wipe away her memories.
The beginning of the lengthy video showed an older Ariana as she sat in a wheelchair in the waiting room of Brighter Days Inc.
A nurse soon came out and called for ‘Peaches’ which Grande did not initially hear due to her hearing aid not properly working.
The star was then taken to a room where she could relive some of her most beloved memories on a big screen – which would then promptly be erased from her mind forever.
Throughout the short film, new songs from the deluxe album were played, such as Twilight Zone.
The first memory showed Ariana from her younger childhood days followed by her time as a pop star.
In another moment from Peaches’ past, the star could be seen walking through the wreckage of a home before stepping outside to show an entire town destroyed.
Grande is the daughter of Joan Grander and Ed Butera; pictured 2020
She made her way through the debris and scattered flames until she stopped underneath a large UFO and was abducted by the craft.
The last memory showcased Grande’s track Hampstead and features her real-life father.
He played a man who founded the current Brighter Days Clinic but the past moment took place before the success of his enterprise.
Butera played a man who founded the current Brighter Days Clinic but the past moment took place before the success of his enterprise
Her father could be seen stitching his daughter back together – similar to Frankenstein – and emotionally concluded as they played the piano together.
Ariana experienced a falling out with her father in 2013 and has remained tight-lipped about details surrounding the rift.
However, she briefly shed light on the situation during an interview with Seventeen back in 2014.
The estrangement was the toughest thing Ariana had ever faced.
The sweet snap was included in a post featuring behind-the-scenes photos from her short film
In the 26-minute video Brighter Days Ahead, the songstress portrayed the character of Peaches – which she first debuted in the 2024 music video for her hit song We Can’t Be Friends (Wait For Your Love
‘Falling out of touch with my dad,’ she said of the hardest thing she’s dealt with. ‘It’s private, but it happened last year. It took me so long to be okay with it.
‘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.
‘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 okay not to get along with somebody and still love them.
They have since mended their ways and have had a more positive relationship, with Ariana even updating the lyrics to her song thank u, next to reflect their improved connection.
