Ariana Grande's mother Joan pays tribute to Manchester terror attack victims

The mother of popstar Ariana Grande has paid tribute to the victims of the Manchester terror attack and praised the emergency services for their response to the tragedy.

Joan Grande, who reportedly rushed to help young fans to safety in the aftermath of the explosion, has condemned the “diabolical” act that left 22 people dead and injured over 100 others.

Ariana had just finished performing her sold-out show at the Manchester Arena (formerly MEN Arena) when her fans were targeted by suicide bomber Salam Abedi, who detonated a homemade nail bomb near one of the exits at the venue.

In a heartfelt Twitter post on Monday night, exactly one week on from the cowardly attack, Joan wrote: “This past week I have spent in reflective thought, prayer & deep sorrow.

“I join my daughter in extending my help & services to all those affected by the diabolical act of terror which occurred in Manchester!”

She continued: “My heart goes out to all the victims: those who lost their lives, those injured, those recovering & all survivors of that night, along with the families & friends whose grief knows no bounds.

“I stand with you all in the face of evil & we stand together to never let it rule our lives!

“Thank you to all those who helped in any way that night in Manchester. I continually thank those who are & were in service protecting our freedoms every day all over the world! #MemorialDay.”

The 48-year-old was reported to have ushered panicked concert-goers backstage in the wake of the blast just after 10.30pm last Monday.

TMZ reported: “Ariana Grande’s mother was still sitting in her front row seat when the bomb went off, and helped escort some of her panicked young fans backstage.

“As the chaos of people fleeing for exits started… Joan told a group of kids – possibly as many as 10 – seated around her to come backstage.

“We’re told she and members of Ariana’s security took the fans backstage and waited with them until they were able to safely exit the arena.”

Joan’s comments echoed a long statement shared by her 23-year-old daughter on Friday, where she wrote: “I have been thinking of my fans, and of you all, non-stop over the past week.

“The way you have handled all of this has been more inspiring and made me more proud than you’ll ever know.

“The compassion, kindness, love, strength and oneness that you’ve shown one another this past week is the exact opposite of the heinous intentions it must take to pull off something as evil as what happened Monday.”

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