The Sex Lives of College Girls fans were hit with bittersweet news. Season 3 dropped and Reneé Rapp, who plays Leighton Murray, bids farewell to Essex College.
Her departure marked the end of an era for this Max series. Fans couldn’t help but feel all the feels. They were left wondering why Rapp decided to step away from the comedy-drama.
Turns out, she’s chasing her other dreams. In 2023, Rapp announced her decision to step down as a series regular. She came to this decision because she wanted to focus on her music career.
In The Sex Lives of College Girls, she transfers to MIT to pursue an advanced math program. But don’t worry, there’s still plenty of drama to keep you hooked.
Let’s get into Reneé Rapp’s exit from The Sex Lives of College Girls and what it means for the series.
Leighton in The Sex Lives of College Girls Season 3
Season 3 of The Sex Lives of College Girls kicks off and by episode two, we’re already hit by the news. The character makes a life-changing decision. She transfers to MIT.
She does so to create a better path for her future. This works perfectly with the storyline. The reason being her girlfriend Alicia (played by Midori Francis) also leaves Essex to work for the mayor of Boston.
Showrunner Justin Noble shared with The Wrap about the transfer storyline:
“I was excited to do this transfer story because, my first year, one of my best friends transferred. That’s part of college that I haven’t seen before—when someone who’s so important to this aspect of your life is just saying they’re gone. It’s really showing that Leighton kind of just figured college out faster than the others, and she’s ready to pursue what’s next.”
Why did Reneé Rapp leave The Sex Lives of College Girls?
Leighton Murray moves to MIT on The Sex Lives of College Girls. But in real life, she leaves the series for her music career.
Rapp has been making waves in the music world. Stepping away from acting gives her more time to focus on her passion.
In an August 2023 interview with ELLE, Rapp shared her thoughts:
“To be honest, I think the biggest feeling right now I feel, and it will sound cheesy, but I feel overwhelmingly grateful for everything that I’ve been able to be a part of. And I hope that it continues in my life, and I hope that I’ll be able to get that lucky again. I have made the greatest friends over the last couple years and friends who have come to be my collaborators in music.”
She also gave a heartfelt shoutout to Alyah Chanelle Scott, who plays Whitney on The Sex Lives of College Girls:
“My best friend, Alyah, is somebody who I met on the job, and that’s my best friend in the whole wide world. She also is directing my videos. So I feel really, really, really lucky and I really am appreciative of the f*cking lessons that I have learned because, my God, have I learned many.”
The cast of The Sex Lives of College Girls bids goodbye to Leighton
Leighton’s farewell wasn’t just tough for fans. It was equally emotional for the cast of The Sex Lives of College Girls. Alyah Chanelle Scott admitted that filming her final scenes was like saying goodbye in real life.
Amrit Kaur, who plays Bela, in the series, shared with People:
“I liked that she transferred for something that was important to her career. Life imitates art, and she's because she wants to pursue her singing career. So I liked that it was an intelligent reason.... It was sad. We got to put how we felt into the words and say goodbye.”
Creator Noble also shared how the series helped Leighton become more comfortable with herself:
“This is Leighton Murray. And Leighton Murray — she wins. We started talking about how she came into the series, and if you think about it, she came in kind of knowing herself the least. She was projecting a different personality than she probably truly felt, and over 22 episodes, we watched her become incredibly confident with who she genuinely is. [She] choose what's best for her in the future.... We believe that she's just going to kill it wherever she goes…”
He also praised the emotional depth of Leighton’s sendoff:
“[There's a] moment on set that I think I'll just never forget, because it was real. It wasn't even fiction after a while. This cast was really saying goodbye to this member of it, and it was deeply emotional, and I think that comes across on the screen and I'm so happy with the way that that scene turned out, and that we could lend the words to kind of give them — as performers — this memory together. I think it meant a lot.”
What’s next for The Sex Lives of College Girls?
With Leighton embarking on a new journey, The Sex Lives of College Girls still has plenty to offer. Noble assured fans that Season 3 remains packed with fun, drama, and fresh faces.
Two new characters join the cast: Taylor, a freshman international student, and Kacey, a transfer student.
Noble teased:
“Truly, there’s more characters to keep around than we find space for, so I think it’ll still feel very full and fun”.
It is confirmed that Rapp will not be seen in any additional episodes this season.
Also read: Where was 'The Sex Lives of College Girls' filmed? All locations of the HBO teen drama, explored
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