Fans of “Euphoria” already know they’ll get a third season of Sam Levinson‘s hit show, thanks to HBO renewing the series in February. And while the next season is probably a couple of years away, there’s already one member of the ensemble cast who won’t be returning.
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Variety reports that Barbie Ferreira, who plays Kat Hernandez on the show, won’t return to “Euphoria” for its third season. The actress took to Instagram yesterday to announce her departure. In a statement, she wrote: “After four years of getting to embody the most special and enigmatic character Kat, I’m having to say a very teary-eyed goodbye. I hope many of you could see yourself in her like I did and that she brought you joy to see her journey into the character she is today. I put all my care and love into her and I hope you guys could feel it. Love you Katherine Hernandez.”
On “Euphoria,” Kat was the best friend of Alexa Demie‘s Maddie and Sydney Sweeney‘s Cassie. The character had one of the show’s most controversial storylines in Sason 1, as Kat becomes more confident with her body and sexuality through her activities as a masked cam girl. However, Kat’s storyline was more peripheral in Season 2, which mainly centered on her sputtering romantic life and lying about a terminal illness to get out of a relationship.
It’s perhaps not surprising to “Euphoria” fans that Ferreira split before Season 3. There were rumors of on-set tension between Ferreria and series creator Levinson during Season 2’s production, including an incident where Ferreira stormed off-set. However, HBO denied those stories, and the actress nixed those rumors in a March interview with Insider.
“I really think that the fans are really passionate and I do appreciate that because ‘Euphoria’ has really impacted so many people,” she told Insider in the interview. “Sometimes, things take on a life of their own, and they’re not rooted in the truth, but it’s okay because I know it’s just out of passion and out of curiosity and all that good stuff. And I signed up for it. So, I’ll take it. I’ll take the good and the bad.”
In addition to “Euphoria,” Ferreira recently had a small role in Jordan Peele‘s “Nope” and starred in the 2020 film “Unpregnant.” She also appears in an episode of the Apple TV+ mystery series “The Afterparty.”
So, will any other cast members leave “Euphoria” before it starts production on Season 3? Levinson is probably in the early stages of prep for the show, so any other shake-ups won’t break for a while. But given the show’s popularity, critical acclaim, and subject matter, expect Season 3 to drum up more controversy.
