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Why isn't Samantha in the 'Sex and the City' reboot?

If you can’t help but wonder what happened to Kim Cattrall/ Samantha, we have answers here.
We couldn't help but wonder ... what happened to Samantha?
We couldn't help but wonder ... what happened to Samantha?TODAY Illustration / Getty Images

Carrie Bradshaw, everyone’s sartorial guru, made her long-anticipated return to our TVs on Dec. 9, thanks to HBO Max. The “Sex and the City” reboot, aptly titled “And Just Like That…,” featured the reintroductions of best friends Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon), and Charlotte York (Kristin Davis) … and that’s it.

Regardless of whether you’re a fan or not, you’ve probably seen some pictures of the famous “Sex and the City” foursome, comprised of Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha (Kim Cattrall). But for reasons that remained a mystery to many fans before the premiere of the reboot, Samantha Jones did not, and will not, be making an appearance in “And Just Like That...”

In the very first episode, we learn within the first minute that Samantha moved to London for work and that she and Carrie had a bit of a falling out when she let Samantha go as her publicist.

“I understand that she was upset, but I thought I was more to her than an ATM,” Carrie says.

If you were stuck conspiring about why Samantha/ Kim Cattrall didn’t make a return to the show, don't worry — plenty of other fans were asking themselves the same question.

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Kristin Davis, Sarah Jessica Parker and Cynthia Nixon are seen on the set of "And Just Like That..."James Devaney / GC Images

What Happened to Kim Cattrall?

Cattrall has been open to the media about her tumultuous relationship with Parker. For years, there was speculation of fights between the two co-stars — but as rumors circulated and got more abundant, it became less clear what the drama was really about.

According to Elle, the feud started in 2004 over money: As Parker got promoted to an executive producer role on the show, raising her salary up to $300,000, Cattrall also requested a higher salary. Reportedly, this caused some tension between her and Parker, Nixon, and Davis.

In 2009, the New York Post reported that Parker and Cattrall were “no longer speaking” while filming "Sex and the City 2." But, in May 2010, Cattrall shared that this wasn’t necessarily the case: “…the press has to put women in these boxes, rather than show them as the movie portrays them: working together and being powerful. Things just have to be explosive for no other reason than for people’s imaginations,” she said.

In 2017, after the production of "Sex and the City 3" was reportedly green lit by Warner Bros. Studios, Cattrall refused to participate unless the studio went ahead with the development of other projects she was involved in — causing the production of "SATC3" to get canceled. But, Cattrall shared a rebuttal via Twitter soon after: “Woke 2 a @MailOnline (poop emoji) storm! The only ‘DEMAND’ I ever made was that I didn’t want to do a 3rd film....& that was back in 2016.” 

Soon after, in an interview with Piers Morgan, Cattrall claimed that the co-stars were “never friends,” and when asked about Parker specifically, stated that she thinks Parker “could’ve been nicer.”

But, at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival, Sarah Jessica Parker said of Cattrall, “I’d just like to remind everybody that there is no catfight… I’ve always held Kim’s work in high regard and always appreciative of her contributions.”

And finally, in 2019, Cattrall stated that being a part of “Sex and the City” was “a blessing in so many ways,” but after the second movie, she’d had enough—which explains her departure from the franchise altogether.

In Jan. 2021, “And Just Like That…” was confirmed for HBO Max, which Parker, Nixon, and Davis all teased on their socials. One comment under Parker’s post read “Happy to see you back but will miss Kim/ Samantha.” Parker replied: “We will too. We loved her so. X”.

What Happened to Samantha?

Aside from the blazing questions of fans asking why Cattrall refused to make a return to the franchise, fans couldn’t help but wonder… how were they going to write Samantha off the show?

Fans speculated: Will they say Carrie and Samantha had a falling out? Will Samantha relocate? Or, the most intense theory of all: Did Samantha die? After all, season six of the show did follow Samantha's experience with breast cancer — so nothing was off the table.

Twitter user @ShelleyACook wrote on July 7: “I don’t know if my heart can take Samantha being dead in the Sex And The City “And Just Like That” reboot. I’m not sure what they’re doing with her character, but I just need to put it out there that if that’s the storyline, it might hurt me. I love her.”

Luckily for Shelley and many other anxious fans, there were rumors that they sent Samantha to London, where she would be thriving on her own, according to Daily Mail.

This rumor was confirmed when fans saw the first episode of the reboot.

And, in an interview with TVLine, HBO Max chief content officer Casey Bloys also cleared up some confusion and confirmed that the famous foursome will become a threesome in lieu of a “falling out” between the three ladies and Samantha. “Just as in real life, people come into your life, people leave,” Bloys told TVLine. “Friendships fade, and new friendships start. So, I think it is all very indicative of the real stages, the actual stages of life.” Sound familiar? (Attn: the aforementioned ongoing feud between Cattrall and Parker.)

TODAY did not get a response from HBO Max for comment when asked about the future of Cattrall’s character on the show.

Is Samantha coming back?

There's no official word on whether "And Just Like That..." will have a second season yet. But fortunately for fans of Cattrall's character, Samantha Jones' storyline didn't end with with the premiere's revelation that she's in London, and she and Carrie are still in touch. In the second episode of "And Just Like That...," Samantha sends flowers before Big's funeral. And in episode five, Samantha and Carrie exchange texts after Carrie tells a personal story involving Samantha on her podcast.

You can watch “And Just Like That…” on HBO Max.

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