By Page Six | Created at 2026-08-07 15:14:21 | Updated at 2026-08-07 17:55:05
3 hours ago
Ryan Murphy has nothing but “love” and “support” for Ariana Grande after her sudden exit from “American Horror Story.”
“I love Ariana Grande. We’re great friends. I had an idea and I came to her and she, very immediately, said, ‘I’m not sure because I think I’m going on tour,'” Murphy recalled to the Hollywood Reporter Friday of how he first approached the singer to join Season 13.
“I don’t think the tour had been announced, and she had obviously just finished the ‘Wicked’ movie. So when it came time to do that episode, I called her up and she was like, ‘I don’t know how I’m going to juggle the tour with this.'”
According to the director, he told her if she couldn’t join Season 13 he could “push to another season” and she agreed.
Murphy insisted that he has only been “respectful” of the pop star’s decision not to join “AHS.”
“Who is busier than Ariana Grande? No one. She had told me at the time, ‘I have this album that’s dropping.’ It was really, truly a scheduling conflict.”
Murphy continued, “Ariana is a big fan of horror. She’s obviously done homages of that in her work; she did ‘Scream Queens’ for me and loved the experience, and people love her in that show.”
The “Glee” creator gushed that he “will always work with her” going forward and has only had positive experiences with the Grammy winner.
“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. I think the world of her,” he concluded.
Last month, Page Six confirmed that Grande, 33, wouldn’t appear in “AHS” Season 13 due to scheduling conflicts related to her “Eternal Sunshine” tour.
The “Thank U, Next” hitmaker was originally announced as a cast member in Murphy’s horror franchise in October, but she couldn’t swing the filming schedule after production dates were changed.
Last week, Grande’s rep revealed that the musician will be stepping away from the limelight once her “Eternal Sunshine” tour ends on September 1. Grande also pulled out of a West End debut next summer.
“Ariana will be taking a step back from visibility after she completes the ‘Eternal Sunshine’ tour,” the rep told People.
“She looks forward to finishing the tour and ending it on a high note, both healthily and happily, and then taking a much-deserved break from public-facing work and appearances, which has led to endless, ongoing public scrutiny. This tour has been a beautiful experience for her. She loves her fans and has loved every minute of this tour so much.”
The announcement came on the heels of heightened concern for Grande’s weight loss after her “Petal” music video dropped.
Earlier this week, Page Six exclusively reported that the songwriter will spend her time away from the spotlight surrounded by loved ones, including her boyfriend Ricky Alvarez.
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