Barbie Ferreira Bids Farwell To 'Euphoria' Ahead of Season Three With A 'Teary-Eyed' Goodbye

Actress Barbie Ferreira has announced her departure from HBO's teen drama "Euphoria."

Before joining the cast of the tv series, Ferreira starred in a Vice series about etiquette, dubbed "How to Behave." She also featured in the Teen Vogue web series "Body Party and portrayed Ella in two episodes of the HBO series "Divorce."

In "Euphoria," the actress starred opposite young stars like Zendaya, Jacob Elordi, Maude Apatow, Storm Reid, Austin Abrams, and Dominic Fike, thrilling fans of the show with stellar performances across two seasons.

Many fans believed she would return for season three, but the actress has recently stated that won't be the case in a heartfelt farewell post on her social media page.

Read on to learn more.

On Wednesday, August 24, Ferreira shared the heartbreaking news on her Instagram that her "Euphoria" character, Kat, would not be returning in season three of the series.

"After four years of getting to embody the most special and enigmatic character Kat, I'm having to say a very teary-eyed goodbye," the 25-year posted to announce her departure.

The goodbye message also featured a piece of fan art of her character Kat created by costar Hunter Schafer, who played a transgender girl, Jules Vaughn. Ferreira went on to praise her character's development throughout the series and expressed the hope that her portrayal of the role would leave viewers with enduring memories.

She continued, "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. I love you, Katherine Hernandez."

Throughout season one of "Euphoria," Ferreira appeared in multiple scenes in the aired episodes. Her character Kat was portrayed as a girl who advocated for body positivity while trying to figure out her sexuality. The series also highlighted her relationship with Ethan (Austin Abrams).

In season two, Kat had a reduced involvement, barely appearing in the entirety of the series. While this could have been in line with the plans for the show, reports posted by Daily Beast in February speculated that Ferreira and creator Sam Levinson had a falling out, although there was no proof this led to her having a smaller screen time.

In the wake of the rumors, Ferreira attempted to explain her character's absence during an interview with "The Cut." "Kat's journey this season is a little more internal and a little mysterious to the audience. She is secretly going through a lot of existential crises. She loses her marbles a little bit," she said at the time, per USWeekly.

The Daily Beast also reported that some of the cast members made "multiple complaints to SAG-AFTRA over the production ailing to provide them meals on time and refusing to let people use the bathroom."

In March, HBO refuted any allegations of problems on the set, saying that the welfare of the actors and crew was always first during the production of the series. "The well-being of cast and crew on our productions is always a top priority. The production was in full compliance with all safety guidelines and guild protocols," the statement read, per Variety.

"It's not uncommon for drama series to have complex shoots, and COVID protocols add an additional layer. We maintain an open line of communication with all the guilds, including SAG-AFTRA. There were never any formal inquiries raised."

HBO greenlighted Euphoria for a third season in February 2022 — but revealed no premiere date. Based on the show's previous filming schedule, the upcoming sequel could debut in late 2023 or early 2024, albeit any unforeseen circumstance causing a change in plans.

Apart from Ferreira, no other main stars have announced their departure from the series. Most of the main cast are expected to return alongside other new additions.

Production of "Euphoria" season three is slated to start later this year. The upcoming series could feature Zendaya playing a directorial role for some of its episodes, as previously hinted by the star in an interview with Vogue Italia.

"I was actually supposed to direct episode 6…I didn't have enough time, so, unfortunately, I wasn't able to this time around. I wanted to have enough time to do it the right way. So, next season probably," Zendaya shared at the time, per Indie Wire.