Barbie Ferreira announced yesterday that she would not be returning to play Kat Hernandez in the third series of Euphoria. The announcement came from her Instagram story and stated: “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.”
The statement also featured artwork of her character drawn by her co-star Hunter Schafer, who plays Jules Vaughn. HBO’s Euphoria first aired in 2019 and there are currently two seasons. A third season was announced in February but its release date has yet to be confirmed.
Barbie’s character, Kat, is a plus-sized high schooler who wanted to change the reputation she carried. Many fans related to and admired the character.
One fan tweeted: “I mean Kat’s character was very important in Euphoria, all her representation and how relatable she is and how to accept yourself without the standards of society and without what others think, feel so sad.”
Some believe that Barbie leaving the show could be connected to rumoured conflict between her and director Sam Levison. Reports claimed that when producing the second series of Euphoria, Barbie disagreed with the direction that her character was taking. It was reported by E Online that tensions were high and Barbie allegedly found it difficult to work with her director.
It is unclear if this is related to her exiting the show, but fans on Twitter seem to believe it could be the reason. One user said: “Sam Levinson slept on Barbie Ferreira’s talent and he’ll 100% regret it when she becomes a huge star.”
Another stated: “Yup, pretty sure those ‘rumors’ about Barbie Ferreira & Sam Levinson’s beef weren’t rumors after all. I feel like there’s going to be a tell-all in the near future about what went on behind the scenes of ‘Euphoria’ & it’s going to be brutal.”
