Sex Lives of College Girls is losing one of its main characters: Reneé Rapp is set to depart the Max hit show after two full seasons playing Leighton Murray.
As reported by Deadline on July 10, Reneé Rapp will exit Sex Lives of College Girls, which was renewed by the streamer in December, during its upcoming third season. According to the report, Rapp is still set to appear in "a handful of episodes" of season three, but she is officially no longer considered a series regular. After those episodes, she will make a swift and definite departure from the show.
Rapp joined Sex Lives of College Girls, created by Mindy Kaling and Justin Noble, back in 2021, marking her TV acting debut. The series focuses on the dynamics between four roommates at the fictional Essex College in Vermont, New England, as they navigate school, love, life, and friendships.
Related: Why Is SLOCG So Obsessed With Greek Life?
The “core four” are portrayed by Rapp herself, Pauline Chalamet, Amrit Kaur, and Alyah Chanelle Scott. Rapp's character had a major arc during the show's second season, which ended with her coming out to her father and quitting the Kappa sorority.
Given the sudden news of her departure, Rapp decided to address SLOCG fans directly with a small heartfelt note that she posted across her various social media channels. "[SLOCG] moved me out to L.A. and introduced me to some of my favorite people. Two and a half years later, it's given me y'all and this community," the star wrote, going on to thank Kaling and Noble, as well as "everyone at Max for believing in me."
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"A lot of queer work gets belittled, but playing Leighton has changed my life," Rapp, who is openly bisexual, continued. "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. She's such a tiny part of representation, but even the tiny parts count. I wouldn't be half the person I am without her and y'all. I love that b*tch more than you know. I'm so excited for this season and I can't wait for you to see what we have coming for her and the girls."
Series creator Kaling also addressed the news of Rapp's departure on her Instagram Stories, where she wrote: “We love [Reneé Rapp] so much and of course will be so sad to say goodbye Leighton Murray! But we can't wait to see our friend on tour!!”
Though Rapp's exit from SLOCG closes one major chapter of her career, a handful of others remain open. As an actor, she is set to star as Regina George in Paramount+'s upcoming Mean Girls musical movie, which began filming earlier this year. (She had previously portrayed the character on Broadway in 2019.) Rapp also debuted as a musician last year and is now gearing up to release her debut studio album, Snow Angel, in August before embarking on a world tour in September.
