Ariana Grande Launches Philanthropic Foundation After White House Uses Her Music Without Consent

The White House posted a TikTok this week featuring Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detaining people, soundtracked by Ariana Grande’s 2024 song “Bye.” The caption read, “Bye-bye … President Trump has delivered the most secure border in history.” Grande, who has previously spoken out on social issues, commented publicly: “Please do not ever use my music in relation to this barbaric, inhumane, heinous nonsense,” ending with an expletive directed at ICE. The comment was later removed, but a source close to her team told Reuters they worked to have the music taken down, and it soon disappeared from the video.

Hours later, Grande announced The Brighter Days Ahead Foundation, a new philanthropic effort designed to channel resources directly to vulnerable groups. Structured around four pillars, the foundation will fund organizations working in LGBTQ+ and civil rights, reproductive justice, mental healthcare and community support, LGBTQ+ cultural visibility, and emergency response. “It has been my privilege to be able to support these causes on my own over the years,” Grande said in a statement, “and I’m grateful to now be able to expand that reach and amplify the life-saving work that these organizations do.”

The launch turns a moment of political friction into a sustained institutional commitment. Grande is currently on the Eternal Sunshine Tour, performing across North America.