After Barbie Ferreira saw her character’s presence notably whittled down in Euphoria Season 2 amidst reports of behind-the-scenes drama, the actress announced she would not be returning to the HBO series for Season 3. In an August 2022 Instagram post, Ferreira revealed that she was leaving Euphoria. In the brief message she provided no reason for the exit nor did she thank creator Sam Levinson for her time on the show, which has reignited rumors that the two didn’t get along on set.
“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 (via Deadline). “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.”
During Euphoria‘s Season 2 run, Ferreira has denied that there’s tension between her and Levinson despite her character taking a noticeable backseat. However, a behind-the-scenes report from The Daily Beast claimed that Ferreira stormed off set during the troubled production:
Adding fuel to the fire is a persistent rumor about tensions between some cast members and Levinson—specifically Ferreira, who allegedly butted heads with Levinson over some elements of the direction of her character. The talks are said to have gone south, with Ferreira allegedly walking off set and Levinson cutting back her screen time. These strains were also referenced by the Euphoria leaker, who claimed that HBO wasn’t all that pleased with the direction the season had headed.
Of course, the only person who knows why Barbie Ferreira quit Euphoria is Barbie Ferreira. That said, her exit does arrive after a notoriously difficult production for a season that saw her character get pushed into the background. It’s hard to ignore the math on that one.
(Via Deadline & The Daily Beast)