The second season of The Sex Lives of College Girls was the literal definition of laugh out loud funny. It truly seems as though this show could go on for years — longer than college, even — because season 2 takes place during the leads’ first year at Essex College. But what about season 3? Considering loads of shows from the streaming platform have been cancelled recently - Made for Love, The Time Traveler’s Wife, At Home With Amy Sedaris, and Raised by Wolves - it wasn't looking good for a second. But here’s what we do and don’t know about The Sex Lives of College Girls season 3 and whether it's set to return.
Has The Sex Lives of College Girls been renewed for season 3?
It was revealed on 14th December, 2022, that The Sex Lives of College Girls will be back for a third season. So you better get your deposit in because it looks like we’re returning for another semester at Essex.
Who will be in The Sex Lives of College Girls season 3 cast?
Though we initially thought it was safe to assume that the core four — played by Pauline Chalamet, Amrit Kaur, Reneé Rapp, and Alyah Chanelle Scott — would be back, we have some bad news.
In July 2023, Deadline reported that Reneé will only appear in a “handful” of season 3 episodes, but (1) will not be a regular and (2) will permanently leave the show after those episodes. The actor took to her Instagram Stories and commented on the news:
In part, Reneé mused, “College girls moved me out to LA and introduced me to some of my favourite people. 2 and a half years later — it's given me y'all and this community. Thank u Mindy, Justin and everyone at Max for believing in me. A lot of queer work gets belittled —but playing Leighton has changed my life. I love who i am 10x more than i did before knowing her. i hope she gave y'all a little bit of that too.”
In January 2024, Reneé spoke about her decision to leave the show in an interview with Vanity Fair (which notes that some of her cast mates allegedly "questioned her bisexuality"). "The people in my life that I work with now care about me as a person," she said. "And I think that is a difference from things I've experienced in the past."
In April 2024, it was then revealed British actress Mia Rodgers was joining the cast as Taylor, a first-year international student who joins the friendship group.
As for the other cast members, the only hiccup we foresee is Kimberly’s pending enrolment status and financial situation, but she’s going to work that out. Right? There may also be opportunities for new funny people to come on as guest stars. I, for one, would love to see the return of Leighton’s ex-girlfriend Alicia (Midori Francis) and her brother Nico (Gavin Leatherwood).
When will The Sex Lives of College Girls season 3 come out?
At a special press HBO and Max press event, Chairman & CEO Casey Bloys revealed that the series would return in spring 2024, although spring came and went, and the new series didn't arrive.
Meanwhile, Ilia Isorelys Paulino revealed on X (or Twitter for those of us who remember) that filming started up in late February 2024, so things are definitely moving!
Fans can hope the new series will be released to tie into the new uni term, which usually starts in September. Please?
How do I live until then?
You can watch Alyah on the Hulu series Reboot. You can stream Reneé’s EP Everything to Everyone. You can binge Mindy Kaling’s Netflix series Never Have I Ever or rewatch The Mindy Project. Follow everyone on social media, especially TikTok. There are plenty of ways to stay immersed in the adjacent world of The Sex Lives of College Girls until we get news (or better yet, the new season).
Oh, and also enjoy this special sneak preview that shows us some of what we can expect this season.
