Ferreira, 25, who played Kat Hernandez, will not return for Season 3, which has been given the green light by HBO Max. The character of Kat was praised for representing body positivity and female sexuality.

Ferreira herself announced the news of her departure via a post on her Instagram story on Wednesday.

Alongside a drawing of her character by co-star Hunter Schafer, who plays Jules in Euphoria, Ferreira wrote her “teary eyed” goodbye.

Her statement in full reads: “after four years of getting to embody the most special and enigmatic character kat, i’m having to say a very teary eyed goodbye. 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.”

Ferreira continued: “i put all my care and love into her and i hope you guys could feel it. love you katherine hernandez.”

The exact reason for Ferreira’s exit has not been confirmed. Newsweek has contacted HBO and Ferreira’s representatives for comment.

Her exit comes after months of speculation from fans about Ferreira’s future in Euphoria. In Season 2, Kat’s storyline more or less faded into the background, compared to her powerful presence in the first season, which fans were quick to notice.

In Season 1, Kat’s sexual identity and cam-girl journey was explored in great depth, but the following season simply focused on the end of her relationship with her boyfriend, Ethan Lewis (played by Austin Abrams).

There were also rumors of on-set tension between Ferreira and show creator Sam Levinson over the direction of Ferreira’s character, Kat. It was reported that Ferreira had stormed off of the Euphoria set because her role had been cut significantly in Season 2. HBO denied this.

The reports came after Euphoria faced allegations of violating SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) stipulations on safeguarding.

HBO released a statement denying the claims: “The well-being of cast and crew on our productions is always a top priority. The production was in full compliance with all safety guidelines and guild protocols. It’s not uncommon for drama series to have complex shoots, and COVID protocols add an additional layer.

“We maintain an open line of communication with all the guilds, including SAG-AFTRA. There were never any formal inquiries raised.”

Ferreira also dismissed the rumors in an interview with Insider in March 2022: “What’s interesting about this season is there are so many more eyes on it that even the news cycle has been so interesting to see. I’ve seen so many different things and a lot of it is untrue, and some of it’s kind of like mundane little things.”

Ferreira has also been exploring opportunities outside of Euphoria, including starring in Jordan Peele’s film NOPE. She also appeared in an episode of AppleTV+’s The Afterparty as Willow.

Ferreira had shared her thoughts on returning for Season 3 of Euphoria and what Kat’s journey may look like, so her exit may come as a surprise to some fans.

Speaking to Insider, she said she hoped to see more of Kat’s “internal fantasy life”: “I hope to see her relationship with herself, the internet, with her friends.

“I hope to see everything beautifully devolve as it always does on Euphoria. I’m excited to read it. I don’t think it’s written yet, so I’ll be waiting.”

Fans have been sharing their sadness about Ferreira’s exit online.

One fan tweeted: “I’m sorry but kat is one of the best characters of euphoria…barbie ferreira deserved better.”

A second fan added: “thank u barbie ferreira for giving us one of the most important scenes as kat, this will always be television history.”

A third Kat fan wrote: “WHAT ???? Barbie Ferreira leaving euphoria Noo, even if Kat was so annoying this season, i wanted to see her more.”

Euphoria Seasons 1 and 2 are streaming on HBO Max now.