Ryan Murphy, creator of "American Horror Story," has voiced his full support for Ariana Grande's decision to exit the upcoming 13th season of the FX anthology series. Grande's departure was attributed to scheduling conflicts with her "Eternal Sunshine" tour and a subsequent decision to step away from public-facing work.
Murphy told The Hollywood Reporter that he initially approached Grande with an idea for Season 13, but she expressed reservations due to her planned tour and her recent work on the "Wicked" movie. "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,’" Murphy recalled.
He offered to postpone her involvement to a future season, an option Grande accepted. Murphy emphasized his respect for her decision, stating that it was a genuine scheduling conflict arising from her demanding career. "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," he explained.
Grande, who previously starred in Murphy's "Scream Queens," was initially announced as a cast member for "American Horror Story" in October. However, changes to production dates made it impossible for her to participate.
Last week, Grande's representative confirmed that the singer will be taking a break from public visibility after her "Eternal Sunshine" tour concludes on September 1. This decision also led to her withdrawing from a planned West End debut next summer. "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," the representative told People.
Murphy expressed a desire to work with Grande again in the future, citing their positive past collaborations. "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.