Barbie Ferreira, star of HBO’s Emmy-winning “Euphoria,” announced on social media Wednesday evening that she will not be returning for Season 3 of the hit series about the debaucherous lives of California teenagers. Ferreira shared the update via an Instagram story. “After four years of getting to embody the most special and enigmatic character Kat, I’m having to say a very teary-eyed goodbye,” Ferreira wrote. “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.” Representatives at HBO could not immediately be reached for comment. Kat was the best friend of Maddie (Alexa Demie) and Cassie (Sydney Sweeney) — a pair she was generally way too smart for and who should’ve been lucky to be in her orbit — and a sort-of friend to the show’s lead, Rue (Zendaya). While Season 1 saw Kat come into her own as a cam sex worker degrading abject men for money, Season 2 saw a seriously diminished role for actress Ferreira. Her storyline mainly revolved around her waffling over kindly boyfriend Ethan (Austin Abrams), making up excuses to get away from him once they got too close. (Her dumping Ethan on the made-up premise that she had a terminal brain disorder was a serious low for both the character and the writers.)
There have been murmurs of messy behind-the-scenes shenanigans on Sam Levinson’s flashy HBO series dating back to a Daily Beast report from February 2022. At one point, Ferreira reportedly stormed off the set, which was rumored to be plagued by long hours and the aesthetic fussings of its creator and showrunner. The report said that several actors filed SAG-AFTRA complaints over conditions on the production, from meal issues to a lack of bathroom breaks. HBO has denied that any unsafe environment existed on the set. In a March interview with Insider, Ferreira said that much of what was said about “Euphoria” behind the scenes was untrue. “I really think that the fans are really passionate and I do appreciate that because ‘Euphoria’ has really impacted so many people,” Ferreira said. “Sometimes, things take on a life of their own, and they’re not rooted in the truth, but it’s OK 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.” Ferreira was most recently seen in Jordan Peele’s “Nope.” Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.
