Ariana Grande's Thank U, Next Video Is One Big 'Mean Girls' Reunion

Ariana Grande dropped the 'Mean Girls' themed trailer for 'thank u, next' —here what the Mean Girls stars have been up to! 

2018 MTV Video Music Awards - Red Carpet
(Image credit: Kevin Mazur)

I can't be the only one who couldn't focus on Thanksgiving because Ariana Grande kept dropping little teasers for the new video for "thank u, next" that all seemed to take place on sets that looked eerily like those from some of my favorite movies: Bring It On, Mean Girls, Legally Blonde. It has become clear: Ariana Grande has the power to put herself into every movie I love, and has done so. Or, she's filming a new music video, whatever.

So imagine my surprise and delight when we were treated to a trailer for Grande's latest bop, "thank u, next" bright and early this morning, and it just so happened to be an ode to Mean Girls. The trailer is a parody of the "Who Is Regina George" scene from Tina Fey's 2004 film, but this time, it's "Who is Ariana Grande," and literally everyone is involved. Grande's got cameos from friends like Colleen Ballinger, Troye Sivan, YouTube star Gabi DeMartino, and Mean Girls stars Jonathan Bennett and Stefanie Drummond. It's a big deal. The whole gang's here, and Ariana's hosting the party. 

In the video, Drummond, who has made appearances on Fuller House and Blindspot, is no longer the adoringly obsessed girl who let Regina George punch her in the face, but rather "Ariana broke off an engagement, so I found a guy to propose to me, and I broke off an engagement!" We love a Pete Davidson joke.

Bennett reprises his role as Aaron Samuels, and apparently he hasn't aged a single hour since Mean Girls came out nearly 15 years ago. “Ariana Grande told me my hair looked sexy pushed back. She’s not wrong,” he tells the viewer in the video, and I shrieked. Bennett, who hosted Cake Wars and starred in many a Hallmark Christmas film since his time as the leading heartthrob, has been posting images from behind the scenes all week on his Instagram. 

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Amanda Mitchell

Amanda Mitchell is a writer and podcaster with bylines at Marie Claire, OprahMag, Allure, Byrdie, Stylecaster, Bon Appetit, and more. Her work exists at the apex of beauty, pop culture, and absurdity. A human Funfetti cake, she watches too much television, and her favorite season is awards season. You can read more of her work at amandaelizabethmitchell.com or follow her on Instagram and Twitter @lochnessmanda.