Ryan Murphy explains why Scream Queens was scrapped from American Horror Story season 13

Ariana Grande could have brought Scream Queens back from the dead for American Horror Story season 13, and the crossover would have been iconic.

Ryan Murphy has revealed that he originally planned to bring the Scream Queens cast into the new season of AHS, finally connecting the two Murphy horror universes.

Via FX

Ariana Grande was set to reprise her role as Chanel #2, the Kappa Kappa Tau sister she played in the horror-comedy series. Unfortunately, there was one rather large problem: Ariana was busy touring.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Murphy explained that he had been trying to make the crossover happen, but Ariana’s Eternal Sunshine Tour made the timing impossible.

“It was funny because at one point I was going to have the Scream Queens come on to this season, but Ariana was touring and I couldn’t make it work,” he said. “But she was like, ‘I still want to do it! I just can’t be on tour.’ So I was like, ‘All right, let me think of it.’”

Ariana originally played Chanel #2 in Scream Queens, which was created by Murphy alongside Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan. The show followed a group of Kappa Kappa Tau sorority sisters as they became the targets of a killer known as the Red Devil.

Most Read

Monster’s lead star explains why Aileen Wuornos was clumsily shoved into Lizzie Borden show

I went on a night out with Bonnie Blue – it was uncomfortable and she’s dead behind the eyes

40 years later, one of the Unsolved Mysteries cold cases has just been solved

RYAN MURPHY TEASES THE RETURN OF SCREAM QUEENS + ARIANA GRANDE’S INTEREST IN RETURNING AS CHANEL #2 pic.twitter.com/S2JskyHLgC

— ໊ (@buffys) September 24, 2026

Emma Roberts played queen bee Chanel #1, with Ariana as Chanel #2, Billie Lourd as Chanel #3 and Abigail Breslin as Chanel #5. Lea Michele also starred in the series.

While Ariana’s tour meant the planned crossover couldn’t happen in season 13, Murphy hasn’t completely abandoned the idea of bringing Scream Queens back. He said the idea is still something he wants to revisit, and the show’s main cast members are interested in returning too.

For now, though, we’ll just have to wonder what Chanel #2 would have been doing in the American Horror Story universe. Considering season 13 is already bringing back characters and actors from across the AHS universe, we’re officially adding this to the list of things that could have been.

For more like this, like The Tab on Facebook.

Featured image via FX