Renee Rapp, the talented actress known for her role in Broadway's 'Mean Girls: The Musical' has reportedly enlisted the services of renowned Hollywood attorney Bryan Freedman to help her navigate her exit from Mindy Kaling's HBO series, 'The Sex Lives of College Girls.' Freedman, who has represented high-profile figures like Megyn Kelly, Gabrielle Union, and Don Lemon, will assist Rapp in terminating her contract.
The situation took an interesting turn when Rapp announced a music tour without obtaining permission from the show's producers. A source close to the matter revealed that "Both sides have been working to resolve things. There are a lot of egos at play."
Why is Renee Rapp quitting ‘Sex Lives of College Girls’?
While there seem to be no personal issues between Rapp and Kaling, who is both the creator and showrunner of the series, it is confirmed that Rapp made the tour announcement without informing Kaling. The upcoming music tour is scheduled to begin in September and will take Rapp across the United States, Europe, the UK, and Ireland. However, the source revealed that "Renee wanted to leave the show to tour and they're currently working out the best creative solution for her departure, but she announced the tour without having clearance from the show."
"Mindy is a multi-hyphenate and is supportive of people who want to do different things and play to their talents, but she has to figure out what happens to Renee's character. This is not the way anyone would have wanted [Rapp’s exit] to happen," reported Page Six. Nevertheless, Kaling now faces the challenge of deciding the fate of Rapp's character within the show. Reportedly, Kaling is reluctant to let Rapp leave the series, as it would disrupt the dynamic of the main four characters. While Rapp is open to filming scenes that would facilitate her exit, Kaling is reportedly seeking a way to persuade her to "stay more permanently."
The first year doing 'College Girls' was terrible
Sources close to the situation suggest that Rapp will likely complete her episodes early on in Season 3, providing some closure to her character's storyline. Rapp, known for her portrayal of openly gay student Leighton Murray in the hit series, took to Instagram to reflect on the significance of her role and queer representation. "College girls moved me out to LA introduced me to some of my favorite people. 2 and a half years later - it's given me y'all and this community," it read. "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 but 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 u'all. i love that b**** 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." On the other hand, Kaling shared a post on Instagram expressing her affection for Rapp and expressing sadness about bidding farewell to the character of Leighton Murray. "We love @Reneerapp so much and of course will be so sad to say goodbye Leighton Murray! But we can’t wait to see our friend on tour!!'
'Maybe I’m just trying too hard!'
It's worth noting that Rapp previously revealed her struggle during the first season of the series in an interview on the 'Call Her Daddy podcast,' where she expressed her discomfort and self-doubt. "The first year doing 'College Girls' was terrible. It was terrible. It sucked so bad, because at the time, I was in a heteronormative relationship," she said. "I hated going to work, because I was like, 'I don’t think I’m like good enough to be here. I don’t think I can be here. I don’t think I can be doing this.' I was like, 'Maybe I’m just trying too hard.' And then I would come home and I would psych myself out, literally."
'The Sex Lives of College Girls,' a comedy-drama series created by Mindy Kaling and Justin Noble, was renewed for a third season on HBO Max in December 2022. The show revolves around the lives of four freshman roommates at the prestigious New England Essex College in Vermont as they navigate their newfound freedom and explore their sexuality on campus. Apart from Rapp, the series stars Pauline Chalamet, Amrit Kaur, and Alyah Chanelle Scott in lead roles, with a supporting cast that includes Mekki Leeper, Christopher Meyer, Ilia Isorelýs Paulino, Lolo Spencer, Renika Williams, and Mitchell Slaggert.
