Ariana Grande's break from the spotlight has to wait for a full De Niro press tour

written by Craig Ellison

September 5, 2026 4:04 pm

Ariana Grande's break from the spotlight has to wait for a full De Niro press tour — Image credit: IMDb

Ariana Grande’s planned break isn’t quite a full stop — per TMZ, there’s a Hollywood obligation she already had in the diary before she can switch off.

Ariana Grande’s been fairly vocal about wanting a break from the limelight, but as you’d expect, Hollywood’s not about to let a star of her size just vanish when there’s still promo work to be done. So if you’re wondering why she’s still everywhere, here’s the bit the headlines don’t blare: she knew this was coming, and it’s all about the next big film on her slate.

Focker-In-Law hits cinemas on 25 November 2026.

Despite her well-publicised plans to take a proper step back, Ariana Grande is locked in for a full press tour for her new film, Focker-In-Law. This was all in the diary from day one – so, no, her break isn’t derailed so much as ‘delayed by the job’.

She’s not just popping round to a radio station or two, either. The Wicked star – and yes, she’s still talking about that as well – is handling a packed media schedule in the run-up to the November release. She’s got Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller for company in this one, if that makes the press junkets any less of a slog. But between plugging the film and still keeping her various brand deals ticking over, Grande will be everywhere till autumn’s out. Once she’s done with all that, the much-discussed break can actually happen.

Wicked, Shorts, and a Lot Else

If it feels like you’ve seen Grande in everything lately, you’re not far off. She’s only just wrapped a wild couple of years for acting jobs:

In Wicked (2024), she played Galinda (Glinda, if you’re casual), forming an unlikely friendship with Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba – and yes, it’s as musical-theatre as it sounds.
That was followed by Wicked: For Good in November 2025, where she reprised Glinda and – minor detail – picked up an Academy Award nomination for her trouble.
Back in 2021, she had a supporting role as Riley Bina in Adam McKay’s satirical comet comedy Don’t Look Up.
She didn’t just star in but also co-wrote, co-directed, and produced the 2025 short Brighter Days Ahead (role: Peaches).
Way before all the glitz, she was Amanda Benson in the 2013 Nickelodeon flick Swindle.
Check the archives and you’ll see her pop up in Zoolander 2 (2016), iParty with Victorious (2011), and quite a few one-offs for telly.