Barbie Ferreira is finally opening up about why she left Euphoria. On the latest episode of the Armchair Expert podcast, the actress denied rumors about her walking off the set of the HBO series, but confirmed fans’ suspicions that she was unhappy with her character’s gradually disappearing storyline.
“I don’t think there was a place for [Kat Hernandez] to go,” Ferreira told host Dax Shepard. “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. 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.”
Season 1 of Euphoria saw Kat navigate a complicated relationship with men and with her own body image, which included her partaking in virtual sex work. In Season 2, she settled down into a relationship with the sweet but very vanilla Ethan, which turned out to be one of the season’s least compelling storylines. And as the season progressed, viewers were vocal about Ferreira’s glaring lack of screen time as Kat was noticeably sidelined.
Then, rumors began swirling about the show’s purported behind-the-scenes drama, including Ferreira butting heads with Euphoria creator Sam Levinson over the direction of her character. An anonymous tip from the gossip account Deuxmoi alleged that the 26-year-old walked off the set one day, which she denies.
“I actually did not walk off set,” Ferreira clarified. “I did sprain my ankle once and had to go get an X-ray. Maybe that’s what they mean.”
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 exist, 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.”
Ferreira announced she was leaving Euphoria in an Instagram post last August, amid questions about Kat’s future on the show. She wrote at the time, “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.”
In her Armchair Expert interview, Ferreira said her exit was a “mutual decision” and that, ultimately, Levinson didn’t “relate” to Kat, who’s one of two Latina characters on the show and the cast’s only plus-sized member. She clarified, however, that she doesn’t feel like a “victim.”
“Sam writes for things that he relates to,” she said. “I don’t think he relates to Kat. I like Kat, so I get to go on my own path. At first, I was like, ‘Oh my God, I’m a flop. I’m a loser.’ It really has been a good thing.”
Ferreira’s revelations are the latest in a series of damning accusations against Levinson, who was recently under fire for an exposé about the working conditions on his upcoming HBO show The Idol. And while Ferreira seems totally at peace with her Euphoria exit, whether or not the internet will accept this explanation is another story.
