Lili Reinhart on saying goodbye to Riverdale : 'I really do love Betty'

Riverdale is coming to an end, but Lili Reinhart has been grieving it for a while.

"In January, I was going through this period where I was really upset and crying almost every other day thinking about it," Reinhart told EW in an interview conducted in March, prior to the start of the SAG-AFTRA strike. "But then like all of February I was feeling okay, and all of March I've been feeling okay about it. It comes in waves."

"Every show that's been on for a long time has to deal with this," she continued. "It's going to be incredibly sad. I know I will never be on a show that's seven seasons long ever again."

Riverdale Finale
Riverdale Finale

Justine Yeung/The CW Lili Reinhart on 'Riverdale'

At the time of the interview, Reinhart hadn't yet filmed the series finale, but she was already reflecting on her time as girl-next-door Betty Cooper. "I really do love Betty," she said. "And I cherish her as a character and as a woman. I feel so honored to have played her."

Additionally, Reinhart talked about how much she'll miss her costars. "We feel like a family, and I will miss that. We're all going to go off and do our own things, and I'm so excited for my costars and I can't wait to continually support them for the rest of their careers," she said. "I'm a nostalgic person and I'm trying to cherish it and not feel too sad about it, but the tears will definitely be there at the end. I dread the final episode because I know I'm just gonna be a f---ing mess."

Speaking of the final episode, the Riverdale series finale airs Wednesday, Aug. 23, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on the CW.

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