After months away from the spotlight, Ariana Grande – and her new bob – are back on TV.
The singer, who has been on an indefinite career hiatus since September, made an exuberant appearance on "The Tonight
Show with Jimmy Fallon" Sunday, Nov. 8, alongside "Focker-in-Law" costars Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller. The upcoming film, a sequel to 2010's "Little Fockers," opens in theaters Nov. 25.
The three joined forces to sing "O Christmas Tree," with the two-time Grammy winner shining with her rendition of the holiday tune.
The appearance started during Fallon's monologue: After the comedian said the holiday spirit had arrived and made him want to sing, the "Focker-in-Law" trio entered to perform. Grande and Stiller traded parts of the song back and forth, though the punchline was De Niro lip-synching the final line so he sounded like a shockingly good singer.
Until now, it was unclear how much Grande would be participating in the "Focker-in-Law" promotional tour.
All three stars also sat down for an interview with Fallon to discuss the comedy sequel, the fourth installment in the "Meet the Parents" series. In the film, Grande plays the girlfriend of Stiller's character's son.
Grande said she was "so honored" to be asked to star in "Focker-in-Law," which marks her first film role since she played Glinda in the two-part "Wicked" movie adaptation. She also reminisced about taking a selfie with De Niro backstage at "The Tonight Show" in 2015 and working with Stiller on "Zoolander 2."
The appearance came on a rare "Tonight Show" to air on a Sunday: It was a special episode that followed a "Sunday Night Football" game between the Chicago Bears and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
While on the show, Grande, Stiller and De Niro played a game of True Confessions, where guests must determine whether the other person is saying something true or false about their life, and starred in a skit that parodied soap operas.
Why Ariana Grande stepped back from the spotlight after touring
The "Wicked" star, 33, has kept a low profile since concluding her Eternal Sunshine Tour on Sept. 1. A month before, her representatives announced she would be "taking a step back from visibility" after wrapping the 41-date jaunt.
This is "a much-deserved break from public-facing work and appearances which has led to endless, ongoing public scrutiny," her team said in the Aug. 2 statement.
In response to speculation about her decision to step back, Grande wasted no time clearing the air during her Chicago concert the following day, saying the gossip had been "blown out of proportion" a little.
Grande assured the crowd that the announcement "was not a reactive or impulsive thing" but rather a decision that came from "a thoughtful and empowered place."
"Multiple things can be true at the same time," she added. "Boundaries can need to be set, human beings can need a break sometimes, and also, this can be, and will continue to be, the greatest experience of my professional and creative life."
She promoted her back-to-back "Wicked" films between 2024 and 2025, then in 2026 toured for the first time in six years, released her eighth studio album and ended a three-year relationship with costar Ethan Slater before reigniting a romance with Ricky Álvarez. All the while, the former Nickelodeon star was dogged by commentary about her appearance.
After announcing her hiatus, she bowed out of her planned West End debut in a summer 2027 production of "Sunday in the Park with George" with "Wicked" costar Jonathan Bailey, who also exited the project before it was scrapped in September.
Contributing: Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ariana Grande makes rare appearance, crashes Jimmy Fallon's monologue
