The actress opened up about her exit on Dax Shepard's 'Armchair Expert.'
Barbie Ferreira is opening up about her exit from Euphoria last year.
Back in August, the 26-year-old actress, who played Kat Hernandez on the first two seasons of the HBO teen drama, announced on her Instagram Story that she would not be returning for the third season.
"After four years of getting to embody the most special and enigmatic character Kat, I'm having to say a very teary-eyed goodbye," Ferreira wrote. "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," she continued before she ended her announcement with a sweet message to her character. "Love you Katherine Hernandez."
During an interview on the Armchair Expert With Dax Shepard podcast on Monday, Ferreira denied rumors that she and series creator Sam Levinson had a falling out on set that led to her departure.
"So, for me, when people ask me about season 2, it's usually they come at me with, like, I was some sort of victim to season 2 and I'm always like, 'No, it's OK, promise. It's good,'" Ferreira said. "I actually did not walk off set. I did sprain my ankle once and had to go get an X-ray. Maybe that's what they mean?"
Ferreira saw her screen time significantly diminished in season 2, which aired its finale in February 2022, compared to season 1. The freshman season saw Kat, a high school student who explores her sexuality by starring in her own online videos, eventually starting to date classmate Ethan Daley (Austin Abrams). The second season had Kat seemingly going against the progress she made as she struggled with her body image and ended up gaslighting Ethan into breaking up with her.
Ferreira shared that it was a "mutual decision" for her to leave the show ahead of season 3 because Kat's story arc had run its course.
"I don't think there was a place for her to go," Ferreira said. "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."
She called it a "struggle" to find a story for her character, which also led to her decision to leave. "I feel like with season 2 and certain parts of it, I felt was a kind of a struggle for both parties. Sam, me... it was a struggle to find the continuation of her. So that was actually really hurtful watching it and seeing the fans get upset," Ferreira said.
"I just felt like, maybe it's like I overstayed my welcome a little bit? So, for me, I actually felt good to be like, 'OK, I get to not worry about this and we both don't get too worried about this,' because it's exhausting," she shared, adding that Levinson "writes for things that he relates to. 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," she concluded.
Less than a week after her exit was announced, news dropped that Ferreira had joined the cast of the upcoming psychological thriller House of Spoils from Amazon Prime Video and Blumhouse Television.
The series also stars Ariana DeBose, who plays an ambitious chef who "battles kitchen chaos, a dubious investor, crushing self doubts… and the powerful spirit of the estate's previous owner who threatens to sabotage her at every turn," the film's press release reads. Ferreira's specific role has not been announced.
ET has reached out to Levinson for comment.
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