Ariana Grande’s American Horror Story prospects brighten following season 13 exit

If you were banking on seeing Ariana Grande pitch up in American Horror Story season 13, you’re in for a bit of a wait. Word got round fairly early that she’d dropped out before filming started, which isn’t exactly unheard of in TV land. Here’s where it gets interesting: co-creator Ryan Murphy has now chipped in with some thoughts of his own about Grande’s future with the show, and it’s not quite as final as some made out.

Why Grande's Out – And What Murphy's Saying

Murphy sat down with The Hollywood Reporter and explained that the whole thing came down to Grande’s tour dates clashing with production. She’s out on the road for the Eternal Sunshine tour, and apparently, squeezing in a bit of horror on the side proved a bridge too far. But Murphy wasn’t exactly shutting the door. He made it clear he’s still very keen to work with her again, just as soon as she’s free of other commitments.

Here’s how Murphy put it, talking up both his fondness for Grande and the prospect of rolling out the welcome mat later down the line:

It was really, truly a scheduling conflict. Ariana is a big fan of horror. She did Scream Queens for me and loved the experience, and people love her in that show. So I will always work with her. I love her, and I support her. It was a very big swing, but I might bring that back for another season, per Ariana’s availability.

Apparently, when they got to the point of actually scheduling episodes for season 13, Grande started to realise just how ambitious it’d be to juggle a massive arena tour and a horror anthology. And to be fair, who can blame her? Murphy says he was happy for her to push the acting gig to another time, instead of trying to cram it all in now. After the tour wraps, Grande’s said she’ll be stepping back from public appearances for a bit, so it might be a while yet before she’s haunting any FX sets. Meanwhile, Murphy’s already plotting out season 14, asking the usual: What’s the story, and who wants in this time?

The Rest of the AHS Season 13 Lineup

If you’re gutted about Ariana missing, the returning American Horror Story cast list is still stuffed with familiar faces—and a few new ones worth raising an eyebrow at. Season 13 is leaning hard on established fan favourites, some picking up roles they’ve played before, others dabbling in new ones.

• Jessica Lange
• Sarah Paulson
• Evan Peters
• Frances Conroy
• Angela Bassett
• Gabourey Sidibe
• Billie Lourd
• Emma Roberts
• Leslie Grossman
• Kathy Bates
• John Carroll Lynch
• Mena Suvari
• Matt Fraser
• Alex Consani
• Paul Anthony Kelly
• Berto Colón
• Joey Pollari

American Horror Story season 13 is set to premiere on 24 September 2026.

Some of those returning actors will do that familiar Ryan Murphy thing of popping up in both new and classic roles, which is either clever or confusing depending on your tolerance for interconnected universes. But Ariana? For now, she’s off the menu—with a decent shot of return, as and when her schedule stops being a nightmare itself.