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The actress — who starred as Kat on the HBO series — also addresses rumors that she “walked off” the set of Euphoria after clashing with Sam Levinson, and shares where she stands with her former costars.
Barbie Ferreira is opening up about her decision to leave Euphoria after two seasons.
While appearing on Wednesday’s episode of The Viall Files podcast, the actress reflected on her exit from the HBO drama ahead of Season 3, and also addressed rumors that she “walked off” the set of Euphoria due to alleged tension with showrunner Sam Levinson.
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“I think it was very mutual so it wasn’t just my choice,” said Ferreira, 24, who played Kat on Euphoria and revealed her departure in 2022. “After Season 2, I think … there was just nowhere to go, and I think instead of me kind of lingering around for nine months, I think it was best for both of us that we just kind of ended it there.”
“Of course, it’s hard. I love Euphoria. I love Kat. Kat means the world to me. I spent so many years pouring everything into her,” she continued.
“But you don’t want to ruin a good thing,” Ferreira added, again stating that the decision was mutual. “Everyone decided there was nowhere to go and that’s hard, obviously. … Again, with acting, things happen all the time, and you have to have a thick skin and just make the right decisions for you and your career.”
The Unpregnant star announced her exit from Euphoria in August 2022, a few months after the Season 2 finale the previous February.
At the time, she shared the news on her Instagram Stories.
“After four years of getting to embody the most special and enigmatic character Kat, I’m having to say a very teary eyed goodbye,” she wrote in her share. Her message was accompanied by an original drawing of “Thunder Kit Kat” she described as her “first Kate fan art,” created by her cast-mate Hunter Schafer.
“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’s message continued. “I put all my care and love into her and I hope you guys could feel it.”
Reports surfaced in February 2022 that Ferreira and Euphoria creator Levinson clashed during filming on the show’s second season, with The Daily Beast reporting Ferreira stormed off the set at one point. Ferreira herself said these claims were not true in an Insider interview a month later.
While speaking with Viall, Ferreira again denied the rumors.
“I never walked off set, there was never anything like that,” she claimed. “That was a whole thing … I absolutely never did that. You could ask the hundreds of people [who] were there every day.”
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Despite her exit, Ferreira — who was promoting her new film Bob Trevino Likes It — shared that she remains close with several of her former Euphoria costars, noting that they came to support her in her Broadway play Cult of Love, which ran from November 2024 until February 2025.
“I saw Hunter the other day, I saw Maude the other day, Sydney came to see my play,” she said of Schafer, Maude Apatow, and Sydney Sweeney. “So I mean they’re all so busy.”
“I mean, I’ve been out of town for, like, eight months, so I’m like, whoever is in town, we always try to see each other and they came to support the play, which was really sweet,” she added.
Ferreira’s comments on Wednesday’s episode of The Viall Files come amid production on Euphoria Season 3.
After months of speculation as to whether or not the series would even return for a third season as its cast members’ careers have blown up, HBO announced in July 2024 that production on Season 3 was set to begin in January 2025. The network listed Zendaya, Sweeney, Schafer, and Jacob Elordi as original cast members who would be returning, per The Hollywood Reporter at the time.
Along with dealing with delays, the show also faced tragedy after star Angus Cloud — who played Fezco O’Neil on the HBO drama — died from an accidental overdose in July 2023 at the age of 25.
During her appearance on The Viall Files, Ferreira reflected on Cloud’s devastating passing.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been through anything like that. We all were just really affected by it,” she shared, adding that she was in Kentucky when the news broke. “It’s a great shame. Angus was the coolest guy, the craziest dude, the amount of stories…I think about him a lot.”
“He was incredible,” Ferreira said. “He was a complete sweetheart, character. It’s really, really tragic. He’s so young. Yeah, it was hard.”
