Ariana Grande's Brother Frankie Has A Controversial Past

In 2007, Frankie Grande posted a selfie with sister Ariana Grande on Facebook with the caption: "Oh I know... once she makes it I will forever be 'Ariana's brother' and will be totally fine with that!" (via Reddit). It's hard to read that and not admire his support for Ariana through her career evolution in the ensuing years. The pop star's older half-brother always has her back, like when Frankie immediately put an end to a rumor that Kanye West sent flying. Not to mention, Frankie was the one who spilled the tea about Ariana's secret wedding, sweetly gushing about the event (which we naturally had no complaints about). But it's worth keeping in mind that two things can be true at once: Frankie is a great brother to Ariana, but he can also be quite problematic as a personality.

It's hard to forget about her brother's controversial past, namely his stint on "Big Brother 16" back in 2014, where Frankie was unequivocally the season's villain. As a user on X, formerly known as Twitter, complained at the time, "I hate Frankie the most of any houseguest ever watching the show." During his tenure, Frankie made some questionable moves, including dramatically trying to evict his showmance partner, Zach Rance. The reality star also didn't inform his housemates that he was Ariana's brother until midway through, as though he was leveraging her fame for more power in the house. Furthermore, Frankie claimed he would follow back anyone on Twitter if they voted for his team and provided receipts, which many fans didn't approve of. And it just got worse from there.

During a "Big Brother" Season 16 livestream, Frankie Grande made an offensive comment about his castmate Victoria Rafaeli. In a clip obtained by TMZ, the housemates discussed their plans for the night, which inevitably included drinking. Grande then suggested that two of his male housemates should "double team" Rafaeli. "I think you should take all her virginities in one night," he quipped. Rafaeli's mother, Lizabeth, was understandably not amused, telling the outlet at the time, "I want Frankie to imagine people saying this stuff about his sister and see if he thinks it's funny."

Grande also made a hostile comment about Jocasta Odom. While discussing his game plan with another castmate, Grande stated in a second TMZ-obtained clip that if Odom was unhappy with his decision, "She can kill herself." Her sister, Maranda Chelsea, decried the shocking comment, proclaiming, "It was an ignorant statement and the little respect I had for him just went out the window." Despite Grande's disgraceful behavior, his relationship with the network remained unaffected. In 2023, he briefly appeared on "Big Brother 25," which was met with widespread criticism. 

"What did 'Big Brother' fans ever do to producers that resulted in Frankie Grande appearing yet again? Stop trying to make him happen. Do you hate us all?," one viewer on X asserted in response to his controversial return. It's safe to say that Grande's dodgy past won't be forgotten anytime soon, putting the reality star in exact opposition to his famous sister.