Barbie Ferreira explains why she quit Euphoria ahead of season 3
13 April 2026, 11:31
"Sam writes for things that he relates to. I don’t think he relates to Kat."
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Euphoria season 3 is finally here but Barbie Ferreira, who played Kat in seasons 1 and 2, won't be part of the cast.
Back in 2023, Barbie revealed that she had quit the HBO series. In an Instagram post, 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."
The news came after there were reports that Barbie had disagreed with showrunner Sam Levinson over Kat's storyline in season 2 and walked off set twice.
Barbie previously opened up about why she left in a candid conversation on the Armchair Expert podcast and now she's added more context to her decision to leave the show.
- Read more: Euphoria season 3 trailer sparks viral theory that Rue is already dead
- Read more: Euphoria creator explains how Fez will feature in season 3 following Angus Cloud's death
Why did Barbie Ferreira leave Euphoria?
Speaking in a new interview with Collider Ladies Night, Barbie shared that she thought Kat was becoming more of a "background character".
"With Season 2, it just felt like the character wasn't Kat anymore," she said. "I think everyone knew that the end of the story was there because we didn't have anything else to put [in]. I mean, obviously there could have been, but it just wasn't happening.”
"For me, it was more about a decision as an actor," she added. "I felt like I wanted to do more things. I didn't care if it was like the biggest TV show on HBO. And I went straight into doing like $1 million budget indies, you know? It's just more about expressing myself. I felt like I wasn't showing my potential as the actress that I know that I am.”
Barbie Ferreira breaks her ankle filming Euphoria
Speaking on the Armchair Expert podcast in April 2023, Barbie addressed all the rumours about her and her experience on set that had been piling up on social media and in the press.
"When people ask me about season 2, it’s usually 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'," she said. "I kind of got sucked into this drama that I never asked to be in and that I’ve never talked about...Don’t believe everything you read."
Clarifying the rumours, she added: "I actually did not walk off set. I did sprain my ankle once and had to go get an X-ray. Maybe that’s what they mean?"
Echoing her recent comments, at the time she also said that she didn't know if the show was going to be able to do her character "justice" and that it was a mutual agreement between her and Levinson.
"I think both parties knew that," she said on the pod. "I really wanted to be able to not be the fat best friend. I don’t want to play that. I think they didn’t want that either."
Barbie also explained that seasons of Euphoria would take around nine months to film and she wouldn't be able to star in other projects at the same time. With Kat's storyline becoming smaller, it made sense for her to leave.
Going into further depth, Barbie said: "I feel like with season 2 and certain parts of it, I felt it was a kind of a struggle for both parties. 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?"
Barbie added: "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. Sam writes for things that he relates to. I don’t think he relates to Kat. I like Kat so I get to go on my own path."
Barbie ended by saying: "It really has been a good thing."
Read more Euphoria news here:
- Eric Dane revealed he filmed his Euphoria season 3 scenes before his tragic death
- Euphoria's Storm Reid reveals why she isn't returning for season 3
- HBO reportedly rejected two storylines for Zendaya's Rue in Euphoria season 3
- Angus Cloud's "extraordinary" Euphoria audition tape shared by his mother
- Angus Cloud said he was really excited to start work on Euphoria season 3 before his death
