Ariana Grande’s ‘American Horror Story’ Nightmare Ends Before It Even Began
‘American Horror Story’ has built its reputation on unpredictable casting swerves, and Season 13 was shaping up to be one of the franchise’s starriest chapters yet. The anthology series has featured incredible casting throughout its twelve seasons, rotating core actors into new settings while occasionally welcoming A-list additions like Kim Kardashian, Lady Gaga, Macaulay Culkin, and Angela Bassett. Anticipation for this new installment, simply titled ’13,’ has only grown as filming has played out in public.
Series creator Ryan Murphy announced a stacked lineup back in October 2025 that included Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Angela Bassett, Kathy Bates, Emma Roberts, Billie Lourd, Gabourey Sidibe, Leslie Grossman, Jessica Lange, and Ariana Grande. Several cast members have already been spotted filming in New York City, with Paulson, Roberts, Sidibe, Grossman, and Frances Conroy photographed on July 9 in full ‘Coven’ attire alongside newcomers Avantika and Alex Consani.
Now, according to Deadline, one of the season’s most talked about names will not actually be part of it. When FX’s ‘American Horror Story’ Season 13 premieres on September 24, it will be without Ariana Grande. The pop star’s long teased horror debut, first floated months ago, has quietly fallen apart before cameras ever rolled on her scenes.
Sources tell Deadline the split came down to conflicts between changes to the production schedule of the horror series and the simultaneous run of Grande’s Eternal Sunshine Tour. The pop star ultimately did not shoot any scenes for the new season. FX and series producer 20th Television declined to comment on the story.
The timing crunch tracks with Grande’s packed touring calendar. At the end of June, she rescheduled several July concerts, shifting her Brooklyn Barclays Center stop from July 12 to July 14 and moving her Boston shows from July 22 and July 24 to July 23 and July 26. Her tour continues on to New York, Canada, Chicago, and London in the coming months.
Grande is not stepping away from acting altogether, though her focus is clearly shifting elsewhere for now. Her next onscreen project is expected to be ‘Focker In-Law,’ arriving in theaters on November 25, 2026. She is also set to release her eighth studio album, titled ‘Petal,’ on July 31 through Republic Records.
Even without Grande, Season 13 is shaping up to be a heavy hitter for longtime fans. Paulson, Roberts, Bassett, Bates, Lourd, Sidibe, Grossman, Conroy, John Carroll Lynch, Mat Fraser, Mena Suvari, and Jessica Lange are all confirmed to be reprising past roles, joined by newcomers including John Waters, Madeleine Petsch, Joey Pollari, and Berto Colón. The season’s official logline teases that fans should light their candles, draw their pentagrams, and prepare for a supreme surprise when the show returns.
Do you think AHS messed up in not including Ariana Grande?
With the ‘Coven’ witches already reunited on New York streets and a premiere date locked for September 24 on FX, the show clearly doesn’t need Grande to make noise this fall. Still, did her absence just take away the crossover event fans were most excited for, or is this ‘American Horror Story’ cast already plenty stacked without her?
