Yahoo News Barbie Ferreira addresses Euphoria exit: Maybe 'I overstayed my welcome'
Barbie Ferreira is opening up about her departure from Euphoria ahead of season 3, calling it a mutual decision and addressing production struggles to fully flesh out her character, Kat.
Ferreira, who was sidelined for much of season 2, announced her departure from the HBO hit last summer, ushering in rumors of a rift with creator Sam Levinson that resulted in her walking off set. The actress disputed the rumors while on Dax Shepard's Armchair Expert podcast and said the so-called drama has "taken on a life of its own."
"When people ask me about season 2, they come at me like I was some sort of victim to season 2 and I'm always like, 'No, it's okay, promise. It's good,'" Ferreira said. "I kind of got sucked into this drama that I never asked to be in and that I've never talked about. I'm of the mindset that if it doesn't exist I'm not going to address it because then I'm adding fuel to it."
Eddy Chen/HBO Max Barbie Ferreira as Kat on 'Euphoria'
"I actually did not walk off set," she added of the rumors. "I did sprain my ankle once and had to go get an X-ray. Maybe that's what they mean?" Ferreira said her exit was a "mutual decision," adding, "I don't think there was a place for [Kat] to go. I think there were places she could have gone. I just don't think it would have fit into the show. I don't know if it was going to do her justice, and I think both parties knew that."
Ferreira "wanted to be able to not be the fat best friend," she said. "I don't want to play that, and I think they didn't want that either." Season 2 felt like "a struggle for both parties," she added. "Sam, me. It was a struggle to find the continuation of her. So that was actually really hurtful watching it and seeing the fans get upset. I just felt like maybe it's like I overstayed my welcome a little bit? So, for me, it actually felt good to be like, 'Okay, I get to not worry about this and we both don't get to worry about this' because it's exhausting."
Ferreira contended that Levinson writes for "things that he relates to," and "I don't think he relates to Kat," she said, noting that her departure has ultimately "been a good thing."
When the teen drama debuted in 2019, the body- and sex-positive Kat, who moonlighted as a dominatrix, quickly became a fan favorite. The second season featured her coming into her own and working out body image issues, but the sidelining of the character garnered criticism from viewers and inspired many essays about how Kat deserved better.
Production for season 3 of the Emmy-winning series is set to begin later this year.
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