Barbie Ferreira reveals real reason for Euphoria exit: "I overstayed my welcome"

Few shows have had the impact that Euphoria has had in recent years. The Emmy-winning HBO show has been in the news for various reasons over the past few years, especially with the constant-running drama with a star-studded cast. Euphoria actor Barbie Ferreira recently opened up on the Armchair Expert podcast about her reasons for exiting the HBO series ahead of season 3.

Barbie Ferreira announced last August that she would be moving on from the role of Kat Hernandez in the popular show. Reports soon emerged that Barbie had clashes with the creators, and wild rumors of her walking off the sets also circulated.

The Nope alum dismissed these rumors on the podcast and stated that she actually left because she was not feeling fulfilled by the role anymore, and her character's arc naturally came to an end.

She stated in the podcast:

“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.”

Euphoria is currently gearing up for a third season, which will be the first one without Ferriera.

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“I kind of got sucked into this drama that I never asked to be in”- Ferriera on Euphoria season 2

While Ferriera's character began quite differently, the second season saw her main story sidelined and completely new things taking place. Her character was also given a very distinct direction. This did not sit well with the actor, who commented on the change on the Armchair Expert podcast.

This character dilemma was also the reason for the reports that emerged about Ferriera clashing with creator Sam Levinson during Season 2. She recounted:

“So, for me, when people ask me about season 2, it’s usually they come at me with, like, I was some sort of victim to season 2 and I’m always like, ‘No, it’s okay, promise. It’s good.”

She added:

“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 exit I’m not going to address it because then I’m adding fuel to it. It’s taken on a life of its own. Don’t believe everything you read.”

Ferriera went on to dismiss rumors of her quitting Euphoria or walking off the sets between the shots as well. She said:

“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?”

She concluded by telling her fans that it was, after all, a mutual decision made between her and the showrunners, as everyone felt that the character graph had naturally concluded, with the third season of Euphoria set to focus elsewhere.

She remarked on her character's development, saying:

"I really wanted to be able to not be the fat best friend. I don’t want to play that, and I think they didn’t want that either.”

Euphoria season 3 is all set to go into production later this year, with a 2024 premiere date.