It's no secret that Ariana Grande has a close group of friends who accompany her pretty much everywhere she goes. The 25-year-old pop star often posts about them on Instagram and Twitter, telling the world how grateful she is for her super supportive squad. Some of them are familiar to her fans, but a majority of them aren't celebrities like Ari. The majority of her inner circle are actually childhood friends that have been on this wild ride with Ariana since day one. It's not surprising, then, that Ariana cast (most) of her besties to star in her epic "Thank U, Next" music video. For those who aren't in the know about Ari's squad, here's a breakdown of all the major players:
1) Frankie Grande
Ari's 35-year-old brother is more than family; he's one of her closest confidantes. He's always there to support his sister through the good and bad times and has even become a television star in his own right in recent years.
2) Courtney Chipolene
Courtney Chipolene is another lifelong friend of Ari's and some speculate they're actually cousins, though this hasn't been confirmed. Courtney grew up in Boca Raton, just like Ari, and now attends Florida State. She seemed to allude to the cousin rumor when posting a photo with Ari promoting the "Thank U, Next" video, quoting Mean Girls: "you have your cousins, and then you have your first cousins, and then you have your second cousins..." In recent years, Courtney has amassed over 200k Instagram followers of her own. Courtney is also close with Ari's other good friends Alexa Luria and Kiyan Ghahreman.
3) Elizabeth Gillies
Most Ari fans will remember Elizabeth Gillies from her days playing Jade West on Victorious, though her friendship with Ariana goes back way further than that. The two co-starred in 13: The Broadway Musical together more than ten years ago and are still BFFs. Elizabeth is playing Cady Heron from Mean Girls in Thank U, Next and currently stars on The CW's hit show Dynasty.
4) Alexa Luria
Like Courtney and Ariana, Alexa Luria grew up in Boca Raton and has been friends with Ari for 17 years. Now that's one committed friendship. Alexa is now an NYC based Instagram influenced running the account @girlwithagourmetpalate. She's starring in "Thank U, Next," as well.
5) Alfredo Flores
A lot of people will recognize Alfredo Flores as one of Justin Bieber's BFFs, but he's close with Ari, too. He's the one who captures all those amazing backstage photos and videos of the "No Tears Left To Cry" singer.
6) Aaron Simon Gross
Aaron Simon Gross is one of Ari's earliest collaborators, as evidenced by the YouTube show "Freaky Forever" the two created back in 2007. Aaron also co-starred in 13: The Broadway Musical with Ariana and Elizabeth Gillies in 2008. He doesn't have his own social media presence, but he can be frequently on his longtime BFF's social media.
7) Kiyan Ghahreman
Not much is known about Kiyan, but he's one of Ari's closest friends. He also frequently pops up on Courtney's social media accounts, as well, so you know they're all super tight. Kiyan is always there to support Ari through her biggest accomplishments, urging his followers to listen to "sweetener" when it dropped earlier this year.
8) Doug Middlebrook
Doug is an Instagram Influencer, but not much else is known about him. He frequently attends events with Ari, though, and is a staple in her squad.
9) Brian and Scott Nicholson
These twin brothers are Ariana's backup dancers, but they've grown super close over the years. They're often spotted on Ari's socials, her music videos, and stage performances.
10) Victoria Monet
Victoria Monet is a singer, as well, and recently released her EP Life After Love, Pt. 2. She also backed up Ariana's vocals when she performed "Thank U, Next" live for the first time ever on The Ellen Degeneres Show. She will appear in the music video for the song, as well.
11) Matt Bennett
Matt Bennett is also one of Ariana's Victorious co-stars and frequent star of her Instagram Stories. Matt is still an actor and remains close with Elizabeth Gillies, as well. He made an appearance in the teaser trailer for "Thank U, Next," so he's sure to play a major role.
12) Colleen Ballinger
You may know Colleen Ballinger as her YouTube alter-ego Miranda Sings, but she's also one of Ariana's closest friends IRL. They've been friends since way before Ari became one of the most famous pop stars in the world and Colleen featured her friend in many of her early YouTube videos. A heavily pregnant Colleen is making an appearance in "Thank U, Next."
Talk about squad goals.
Photo: Getty