Ryan Murphy has revealed why Ariana Grande dropped out of "American Horror Story" season 13, explaining in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that her Eternal Sunshine Tour made the scheduling impossible. Rather than recast the role, Murphy said he is keeping the storyline in reserve for whenever Grande becomes available again, underlining the closeness of their working relationship rather than any falling-out.

Murphy said he approached Grande with an idea for the horror anthology series shortly after she finished the "Wicked" films, but she withdrew once her touring commitments became clear, and he agreed to push the concept to a future season. The pair previously worked together on Fox's "Scream Queens" in 2015, and Murphy praised her enthusiasm for horror, citing the video for her new album track "Petal". Grande released her album "Petal" on 31 July, with lead single "Hate That I Made You Love Me" becoming her tenth US number one, and her tour is due to end on 1 September in London, after which her representatives say she plans to step back from public life.