Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Lifestyle
Inga Parkel

Ariana Grande is not a cannibal: Bewildered brother Frankie reacts to ‘extreme’ rumors

Getty Images

Support truly
independent journalism

Ariana Grande’s brother, dancer and actor Frankie Grande, has commented on a viral joke about his popstar sister being a cannibal.

On Thursday (July 11), X account Buzzing Pop tweeted a screenshot showing “Ariana Grande cannibalism” as a top TikTok search.

“Fan’s joke about Ariana Grande being a cannibal has gone viral in an effort to deter people away from buying concert tickets,” the post was captioned.

Frankie reshared the tweet, writing: “HAHAHAHAHAHA. Wow! This might be the most creative and lowest y’all have ever gone.

“Reaching new depths daily!” the Big Brother alum added, quipping: “Listen, I know my sister’s been eating the girls up for years but this a bit extreme! Besides, she’s vegan. See you on tour!”

The cannibalism rumors are supposedly part of a viral trend that sees fans attempting to discourage others from purchasing concert tickets so that they can buy them all instead, according to Entertainment Weekly.

Frankie Grande is 10 years older than his half sister, Ariana (Getty Images)

However, they also seem to have evolved from Grande’s recent comments in which she named notorious serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer – also known as the Milwaukee Cannibal – as her dream dinner guest.

“I was infatuated with serial killers when I was younger,” she explained on a June episode of Penn Badgley’s Podcrushed podcast. “I think I would have loved to have met him. You know, maybe with a third party or someone involved. But I have questions.”

The Grammy-winning singer faced backlash for her remarks, with several people shaming her for “joking about wanting to have dinner with [Dahmer],” calling her declaration “sick and horribly offensive to the victims’ families.”

The family of Tony Hughes, one of Dahmer’s victims, also ripped into Grande, saying she “seems like she’s sick in her mind.”

“It’s not fancy or funny to say you would have wanted to do dinner with him,” Tony’s mother, Shirley Hughes, told TMZ.

Tony’s sister Barbara said that Grande’s comments glamorize Dahmer and called on the Wicked star to apologize.

Dahmer killed and dismembered 17 men between 1978 and 1991. After he was apprehended by police, he was ultimately sentenced to 16 consecutive life terms in prison, although he was beaten to death three years into his prison sentence in 1994.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.