How ‘Euphoria’ Let Kat Hernandez Down

Barbie Ferreira has revealed that she didn’t want to be the “fat friend” in HBO’s Euphoria, raising questions about the representation of body diversity on screen. 

Barbie Ferreira recently did what actors that are the subject of mild controversy do best — clear the air by appearing on a podcast. Ferreira, who plays Kat Hernandez on the HBO series, announced in August last year that she wouldn’t be returning for the third season. Naturally, it sparked a flurry of rumours surrounding her departure, including one that said she walked off the set after a clash with creator Sam Levinson over the direction of her character.

Seven months later, we now have a clearer idea of what actually happened. In a recent episode of Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard, Ferreira explained that “it was a mutual decision” between her and creator Sam Levinson, despite the rumours. “I kind of got sucked into this drama that I never asked to be in,” she said. Also, no, she never actually walked off set (though she did leave to get an X-ray for a sprained ankle once).

I love a good podcast gossip session, but what struck me is Ferreira’s explanation of why she left in the first place. “I don’t know if it was going to do her justice, and I think both parties knew that. I really wanted to be able to not be the fat best friend. I don’t want to play that, and I think they didn’t want that either.”

Fans were sorely disappointed about the lack of Kat screen time in Euphoria’s second season, after Season 1 tracked her career as an underage cam girl and dominatrix to explore the complex intersection of sexuality and empowerment. In Season 2, she barely had enough lines for a full scene. Despite the stark lack of screen time, audiences praised Ferreira’s performance, particularly for portraying the complexities of “body positivity“.

When it comes to Kat Hernandez’s journey, though, is this really Ferreira’s responsibility? This isn’t to say that Ferreira doesn’t deserve all the praise that she got. But if a major part of that praise is based on the long overdue representation of diverse body types, what does it say to the audience if that representation is snatched right back?

I have nothing but respect for Ferreira taking the situation into her own hands to avoid a disappointing repeat of Season 2, but this never should have been on her. Genuine diversity is not an aesthetic that popular media can try on for size to later discard, and it takes more than just actors to actually sustain media diversity. And even though Ferreira insists that the decision was respectful and mutual, her choice to leave shouldn’t go unnoticed.