Frankie Grande was 'nervous' to come out to sister Ariana Grande

2 June 2018

Frankie Grande was "so nervous" about coming out as gay to his sister Ariana Grande.

Frankie Grande

The 35-year-old dancer told his younger sibling that he was gay when she was 11 years old and although he was worried about her reaction, Ariana proved to be wiser beyond her years.

Speaking to the new issue of Gay Times magazines, he said: "I remember being so nervous to tell my little sister. I was like, 'I have something to tell you... I'm gay.' And she was like, 'Cool, do you have a boyfriend.' And I was like, 'Yeah,' and she was like, 'When do I get to meet him.'

"I was, like, 'Really? It's that simple?' So it went really well."

Frankie admits when he told their mother Joan Grande he was homosexual she was initially nervous about what health implications his lifestyle could have for him, but she was fully supportive of his sexuality.

He explained: "With my mom, she didn't know much about the community. She was raised in a different time, where being gay was very unaccepted, and she lost several of her friends to AIDS, so she was very concerned with the fact that I would be able to live a very happy, healthy lifestyle. Fortunately I'd already met some very well-adjusted, out and proud gay men, so I was able to tell her, 'Look, I can be one of those men in this world,' and she told me to go out there and do it."

Ariana, 24, recently released her new single 'No Tears Left To Cry', which has been described as a "gay anthem".

Frankie insists his coming out story and relationship with Ariana shows that she has always supported the LGBTQ community.

He previously said: "That song is a gay anthem, it is! She's always been so supportive of the LGBTQ community, and her songs have always said that. In the new single, she says, 'They point out the colours in you, I see 'em too, and boy, I like 'em.' That's her celebrating every kind of love you can imagine. Every colour of the rainbow. Plus, she's got a rainbow across her face on the cover of the single. Ariana is anything but subtle. She and I support the community with every chance we get. I basically raised her. Ariana and I are 10 years apart and she grew up with a really gay brother who just loves her unconditionally, and it's reciprocated."