Ariana Grande is planning to do press supporting Focker-in-Law, despite the announcement in August that she’s “taking a step back from visibility” following the conclusion of her Eternal Sunshine Tour, Billboard has confirmed.
It had previously been uncertain whether or not the pop star would participate in promo for the film — which premieres in theaters this Thanksgiving and costars the franchise’s recurring leads, Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro — as she had already pulled out of her starring role in the upcoming West End revival of Sunday in the Park With George. She’d been set to reunite in the summer 2027 stage production with fellow Wicked star Jonathan Bailey, who also recently dropped out of the cast.
But Billboard has learned that Grande’s break from the public eye will not prevent her from taking part in Focker-in-Law press, as she is proud of the film. She will also continue to work on her brands such as R.E.M. Beauty.
The promotional run for the family comedy will take place in the fall ahead of its release in theaters on Nov. 25.
The update comes exactly a month after Grande alerted fans that she’d be removing herself from the public eye for an unknown period of time. “Ariana will be taking a step back from visibility … 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,” her rep told People at the beginning of August.
The following day, the Grammy winner told fans at her Eternal Sunshine show in Chicago that the decision “was not a reactive or impulsive thing,” but “a plan that I had quietly made a long time ago … that was made from a thoughtful and empowered place.”
The trek supporting her 2024 Billboard 200-topping album of the same name has since ended, closing out Tuesday (Sept. 1) after 10 shows at the O2 Arena in London. According to figures shared with Billboard Boxscore, the trek grossed $107.9 million across 638,000 tickets sold.
Additional reporting by Michael Saponara.
