Featured Image Credit: AFF / LANDMARK MEDIA / Alamy
Topics: TV And Film, HBO
Ali Condon
Barbie Ferreira has announced that she will not be returning as her character Kat for season three of Euphoria, following rumours of friction between the actress and series creator Sam Levinson.
The actress was a fan-favourite from the get-go as sex-positive student Kat Hernandez, but when her character suspiciously faded into the background in season two, viewers suspected that something was up.
On Wednesday, Barbie, 25, shared a piece of Kat 'fan art', drawn by her former co-star Hunter Schaffer, and told fans that she was officially leaving the HBO series.
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She wrote: "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.
"I put all my care and love into her and I hope you guys could feel it. Love you Katherine Hernandez."
The disappointing news comes soon after questions were raised about her relationship with series creator Sam Levinson on-set.
Rumours first sparked back in February of this year, when season two of Euphoria was airing.
Popular gossip Instagram account DeuxMoi had published a tip that there was serious friction between Barbie and Sam over her character's storyline.
The tip claimed that clashes between the two got so bad that Barbie had even walked off set during filming.
Fans theorised that this could be why her character had such little screen time in season two.
However, after the season finale aired, Barbie made a point to shut down these rumours.
'I've seen so many different things and a lot of it is untrue and some of it's kind of like mundane little things", she told Insider back in March.
"I really think that the fans are really passionate and I do appreciate that because Euphoria has really impacted so many people.
"Sometimes, things take on a life of their own, and they’re not rooted in the truth, but it’s okay 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."
However, following Barbie's shock departure from the show, fans are convinced that there's more to the story.
Following the news, one curious fan tweeted: "Whether the rumours were true or not regarding the behind the scenes drama of Euphoria season two, this is disappointing to hear but I'm not surprised. Barbie Ferreira was one of the highlights of season one, but the way Kat was treated in the second season was just odd."
A second commented: "Kind of had a feeling Barbie Ferreira wasn't coming back for Euphoria when Sam had her say two words the entirety of season two."
While there's been no word on whether filming for season three has started yet, stars like Zendaya, Hunter Schaffer, Jacob Elordi, Sydney Sweeney, Alexa Demie, Maude Apatow, and Angus Cloud are all expected to return.