Leighton Murray is leaving Essex College.
“The Sex Lives of College Girls” star Reneé Rapp will not be returning as a series regular to the Max comedy, PvNew has /confirm/ied. Rapp, who plays wealthy legacy student Leighton, will appear in a few episodes of Season 3 as a recurring character but will then depart the show.
Renewed for Season 3 in December, “The Sex Lives of College Girls” follows four roommates at the fictional Essex College as they juggle school, sexuality and friendships. Season 2 left off with Leighton finally hitting her stride after coming out as a lesbian to her father and quitting her sorority.
The show, created by Mindy Kaling and Justin Noble, also stars Pauline Chalamet as Kimberly, Amrit Kaur as Bela and Alyah Chanelle Scott as Whitney. Premiering in November 2021, “Sex Lives” has performed well critically and commercially, bringing in solid ratings for the streamer.
In addition to starring as Regina George in the upcoming “Mean Girls” movie musical, Rapp has a burgeoning music career. She signed to Interscope Records last year and released her first EP, “Everything to Everyone,” in November. Her debut album, “Snow Angel,” is set to release on Aug. 18, and she is embarking on an international tour beginning in September.
“College girls 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,” Rapp wrote on Instagram after the news broke. “Thank u Mindy, Justin and everyone at Max for believing in me. A lot of queer work gets belittled — but playing Leighton has changed my life. 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 bitch 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.”
Kaling posted to her Instagram story in support of Rapp, writing: “We love @reneerapp so much and of course will be so sad to say goodbye to Leighton Murray! But we can’t wait to see our friend on tour!!”
Speaking to PvNew in the fall, Rapp expressed that pursuing music full-time has always been her end goal, even after landing “Sex Lives.”
“[I thought], I can do music on the side, like, I can just hustle. And now I’ve just kept acting, because it keeps supporting the music…Acting was my way into tricking everyone that I warranted attention, so that I could have this interview with you,” she said.
Deadline Hollywood was the first to report the news.
