The Sex Lives of College Girls loses a main cast member, with the character officially set to depart the popular comedy series during season 3. Co-created by Mindy Kaling and Justin Noble, The Sex Lives of College Girls centers on four college roommates in their first year at New England’s prestigious Essex College. The show is one of the biggest hits for the Max streaming series, generating a lot of online discussion and cultivating a strong online fandom. It was renewed for a third installment in December 2022.
According to Deadline, Reneé Rapp is leaving the popular comedy. Rapp, who plays the wealthy legacy student Leighton, will reportedly appear in a handful of episodes for The Sex Lives of College Girls season 3. But she will not be a series regular and will depart the show after those episodes. Rapp later confirmed the news of her departure on Twitter. You can see her statement, below:
In her tweet, Rapp writes she moved to LA for The Sex Lives of College Girls and subsequently met some of her favorite people. She thanks Kaling and Noble, and says that "playing Leighton has changed my life." She also notes how "a lot of queer work gets belittled" and adds that Leighton is "such a tiny part of representation but even the tiny parts count." In conclusion, Rapp hypes the season, saying: "I can't wait for you to see what we have coming for her and the girls." Now, according to Page Six, Rapp has hired lawyers to speed up her exit from the show after the actor, who also dabbles in music, announced a global tour without telling Kaling or the show's creatives.
Why Reneé Rapp Is Leaving The Sex Lives of College Girls
Rapp's role as Leighton, the wealthy legacy student, marked Rapp's television debut. But since then, she's been involved with other projects. One of the show's four leads, alongside Pauline Chalamet, Amrit Kaur, and Alyah Chanelle Scott, she's had a successful debut EP. She also announced that she'll be releasing an album in August, in addition to landing the lead role of Regina George in the Mean Girls: The Musical film. That could be a factor in the news.
As part of The Sex Lives of College Girls season 2, Leighton was sometimes positioned as a lovable narcissist. This is a classic role for teen comedies and dramas and one that Rapp looks to fill in Mean Girls, which makes it interesting to see how the show will recover from her loss. At the very least, it sounds like Rapp will recur enough to ensure that the character gets a satisfying exit.
It's always difficult for a show to lose a main character. But the good news is that The Sex Lives of College Girls is still new enough that it could potentially move past Leighton's exit and continue to map out its brand and ideas. It's true to college life, as well, that the friends made during those years eventually move on to chart their own path forward.
Source: Deadline, Page Six