It's finally back! After an actual eternity, Euphoriareturned for season 3 last night, reuniting us with beloved characters like Rue, Maddie, and Jules, as we pick up in the story five years on and a LOT has changed in those few years since the group was last in high school.
However, despite being very happy to be reunited with Zendaya and co., one person who wasn't in the first episode (and also won't be in any future episodes for the third season) is Barbie Ferreira as Kat Hernandez.
So, why isn't Kat in the new season? Well, after much speculation, Barbie Ferreira finally revealed why she left the show after two seasons, and here's exactly what you need to know about the real reason for Barbie's departure.
Who was Kat in Euphoria?
Kat was a main character for the first two seasons of Euphoria. She was a close friend of Maddy's (Alexa Demie) and took her side when it came to the Cassie (Sydney Sweeney) and Nate (Jacob Elordi) situation, and she was also friends with Jules (Hunter Schafer).
Over the two seasons, her storylines included plot points about body positivity, growing in self-confidence, and trying to explore her sexuality. She also ended up having a very complex relationship with Ethan (Austin Abrams).
Why did Barbie Ferreira actually leave Euphoria?
After two seasons of Euphoria, it was revealed that Barbie wouldn't actually be returning for the third season to play Kat again.
Despite a lot of speculation online as to the reason why she left, Barbie set things straight during an interview in 2025.
While appearing on Nick Viall's podcast The Viall Files, Barbie clarified it was a mutual decision between herself and the show for Kat not to be in season 3, as Barbie felt she had done all she could with the character.
“I think instead of me kind of lingering around for nine months, I think it was best for both of us that we just ended it there,” she explained on the podcast. “Of course it's hard—I love Euphoria. I love Kat. Kat means the world to me. I mean, I spent so many years pouring everything into her, but it's like, you don't want to ruin a good thing.”
Barbie also responded to claims she had “walked off” the set of the show due to creative differences, revealing she never did so.
“Obviously there was a lot of discourse about it that wasn't true, and I'm a person who just kind of lets everything happen. It's a popular show, so people took it out of—I never walked off set. There was never anything like that,” she explained.
What is Barbie Ferreira up to now?
Despite leaving the show back in 2022, Barbie is still friendly with her castmates, revealing during her interview with Nick Viall she has seen Hunter, Sydney, and Maude Apatow (who plays Lexi) since filming ended and they all support each other on their projects.
“I saw Hunter the other day, I saw Maude the other day,” she shared. “Sydney came to see my play (Cult of Love). They're all so busy. I mean, I've been out town for like eight months, so whenever we're in town, we always try to see each other. And they came to support the play, which was really sweet.
Euphoria aside, Barbie has stayed booked and busy since her time on the show ended. She's starred in movies House of Spoils, Faces of Death, Bob Trevino Likes It, and Mile End Kicks, also serving as executive producer on the latter two.
