Storm Reid will not return for Season 3 of HBO's gritty teen drama "Euphoria," The Times has confirmed.
The actor, who played Gia Bennett in the Emmy-winning series, said earlier this week that her character will not appear in the much-delayed third season.
"I'm very excited for Season 3," the Emmy-winning "The Last of Us" star told Rotten Tomatoes at the Governors Awards on Monday. "Unfortunately, Gia's not returning to the third season, but I am so, so indebted to the cast and the crew of that show, to HBO. 'Euphoria's' a really special thing and I'm so glad that that's a part of my legacy and that I was a part of such a cultural phenomenon.
"I'm forever grateful, forever indebted and I can't wait to see what Season 3 has in store. I'm very excited," she added.
The "A Wrinkle in Time" star, 21, did not say why she would not be returning and representatives for the actor on Wednesday did not immediately respond to The Times' requests for comment. Representatives for HBO declined to comment on Wednesday when reached by The Times.
The "Euphoria" actor has been enrolled as a student at the University of Southern California where she is majoring in dramatic arts and minoring in African American studies. She played the long-suffering younger sister to Zendaya's Rue Bennett in the angsty teen drama that chronicles Rue's struggles with sobriety, along with cheating, sex scandals and other explicit storylines ensnaring those in her high school friend group. Gia, who got into a screaming match with Rue over the "idea" of her sister taking up smoking weed again, was largely sidelined in Season 2 but did partake in a confrontational scene with their mother (Nika King).
"Euphoria," which also stars Sydney Sweeney, Jacob Elordi and Hunter Schafer, debuted in June 2019. Season 2, which earned Zendaya her second consecutive lead actress Emmy Award, began airing in January 2022 after two standalone specials. The series was renewed in February 2022 even before the airing of its chaotic-yet-pivotal finale that sees Rue hitting rock bottom.
However, Season 3 was placed on hold as show creator Sam Levinson took over directing duties on the ill-fated HBO series, "The Idol." Production was also hampered during the writers' and actors strikes last year, further delaying Season 3. If the new chapter premieres next year, it would return six years after the release of Season 1.
Meanwhile, Zendaya, Sweeney and Elordi's stars have continued to rise as they took on additional high-profile projects ahead of and during the production gap. Reports about behind-the scenes drama, alleged friction between Zendaya and Levinson, the departure of cast member Barbie Ferreira and the death of actor Angus Cloud also called the new season into question.
In July, HBO confirmed that filming is slated to begin in early 2025. Earlier this month, HBO and Max boss Casey Bloys said the series is still on track to start shooting in January and its stars' separate production schedules will not conflict.
"We are shooting 'Euphoria,' " he said at a press event, according to Variety. "I think we have a start date, mid to late January. Nothing's changed. Somebody said something online, and then this whole thing started. We are shooting the season. I have read the scripts. We're happy. We're moving ahead."
Bloys also said that "all of the actors are in the show," but did not mention the departure of Reid or Ferreira.
"I know the show gets a lot of attention now because, you know, it has created some genuine movie stars, and they have various projects that [they] are working on, but we are shooting this season, so nothing has changed. It's eight episodes."
Sweeney, Schafer, Elordi, Colman Domingo, Eric Dane, Maude Apatow and Dominic Fike have all said they would be back or would be on board for reprising their roles. And both Zendaya and Elordi have hinted that a time jump is likely in store for the new installment given how much time has passed between Seasons 2 and 3.
Levinson, in a summer 2023 interview with Elle, has described the next chapter as a "film noir" and revealed that Zendaya's character will serve as a vehicle to "explore what it means to be an individual with principles in a corrupt world."
