A Complete Breakdown of the 'Sex and the City' Cast Drama

Kim Cattrall (Samantha) won't be in the show's HBO Max reboot—and there's a reason why.

A Complete Breakdown of the 'Sex and the City' Cast Drama

Carrie, Charlotte, and Miranda are returning to the small screen for HBO Max's Sex and the City revival, titled And Just Like That…. But Kim Cattrall, who plays Samantha, will not reprise her role. 

The specifics of the revival are still a mystery. How show producers will explain Samantha's absence in the story is unknown. Cattrall's decision to not participate, though, isn't a complete surprise. Gossip and rumors surrounding Cattrall and Parker's relationship are almost as dramatic as their SATC storylines. Of course, it's important to point out that people's obsession with their “feud” is blatantly sexist. If we were talking about male actors, there wouldn't be the same level of attention.

That being said, Cattrall and Parker have addressed these rumors before, so let's break down everything we know concretely about their situation.

Years before news of the TV revival was released, Kim Cattrall responded to questions about a rumored Sex and the City 3. "Never. It's a no from me," she told the Daily Mail. She then hinted that her experience on SATC wasn't pleasant, explaining, “You learn lessons in life, and my lesson is to do work with good people and try and make it fun.”

Her comments about not wanting to be involved in a possible third movie caused backlash from fans, so she addressed the negative response in a tweet. 

https://twitter.com/KimCattrall/status/913712496237776897

She reiterated her feelings about not returning to the franchise during an interview with Piers Morgan. “Me playing [Samantha], that I can assure you will never happen,” she said. “This isn’t about more money. This is not about more scenes. It’s not about any of those things. This is about a clear decision, an empowered decision in my life to end one chapter and start another. I’m 61. It’s now."

Cattrall fanned the flames of a feud with Parker when she said in her Morgan interview,  “This is really where I take to task the people from Sex and the City, and specifically Sarah Jessica Parker. in that I think she could have been nicer.” What she meant by this is unclear. 

In 2017, Parker confirmed that a third movie was not going to be made. “It's over. We're not doing it... I'm disappointed. We had this beautiful, funny, heartbreaking, joyful, very relatable script and story,” she told Extra TV. "It’s not just disappointing that we don’t get to tell the story and have that experience, but I think more so for that audience that has been so vocal about wanting another movie."

Davis wrote on Instagram, "I love to look back at the pics from our LONG history of Sex and the City. I am incredibly lucky to have gotten to play Charlotte through all of her ups and downs… It is true that we are not going to be able to make a 3rd film."

She continued, "I wish that we could have made the final chapter, on our own terms, to complete the stories of our characters. It is deeply frustrating not to able to share that chapter (beautifully written by MPK) with all of you. So we will just have our memories, but please know that all of the love and support for us through the years is felt by us and we are so grateful for all of you! SATC forever in our hearts.”

Parker told Andy Cohen that she was heartbroken after hearing Cattrall's comments about her (from the Piers Morgan interview). “I found it very upsetting because that's not the way I recall our experience,” she said on Watch What Happens Live in February 2018.

Later that year, Cattrall's younger brother passed away. Parker sent her condolences via Instagram, writing, "Dearest Kim, my love and condolences to you and yours and Godspeed to your beloved brother. Xx." She told Entertainment Tonight of her reason for reaching out to Cattrall, "If somebody in your life, whether you're in touch with them or not, [is] suffering for any reason, it's involuntary that you want to convey condolences or sadness or just let someone know you're thinking about them."

But Cattrall didn't take kindly to Parker's condolences. “Your continuous reaching out is a painful reminder of how cruel you really were then and now,” Cattrall wrote on Instagram. “Let me make this VERY clear. (If I haven’t already) You are not my family. You are not my friend.”

She then posted a link to a New York Post article titled “Inside the mean-girls culture that destroyed Sex and the City,” further implying her experience on the show wasn't pleasant. 

While at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival, Parker once again assured reporters she and Cattrall don't have bad blood. "I’d just like to remind everybody that there is no catfight," she told Vulture. “I have never uttered an unkind, unsupportive, unfriendly word, so I would love to redefine it. I also want to remind everybody that there were four women on the set and I spent equal time with all of them, so this was not a set with two women who didn’t get along. I’ve always held Kim’s work in high regard and [was] always appreciative of her contributions."

One fan suggested on Instagram that Parker doesn't like Cattrall, to which Parker replied, “No. I don't dislike her. I've never said that. Never would.” She added, "Samantha isn't part of this story. But she will always be part of us. No matter where we are or what we do."

Meanwhile, Cattrall recently liked a tweet from a fan about her decision to not be part of the revival. "I absolutely love Sex and the City and whilst I am saddened that Samantha will not return, I applaud doing what is best for you and think this is [a] great example of putting yourself first. Well done @KimCattrall,” the tweet read.

This story originally appeared on: Glamour - Author:Paulina Jayne Isaac