Reneé Rapp Opens up About ‘The Sex Lives of College Girls’ Departure: ‘Sometimes You Just Know’

Reneé Rapp is speaking out about her decision to leave The Sex Lives of College Girls.

The “Leave Me Alone” singer starred in the HBO Max teen dramedy as wealthy legacy student Leighton.

Rapp starred in the first two seasons but only recurred in Season 3, later departing fully to focus more on her music. TSLOCG suffered after her exit, with viewership going down, ultimately leading to the show’s cancellation. Via Deadline, Rapp explained on the Call Her Daddy podcast that the show “was just so fun.” She continued, “Like, it was so fun. It was awesome. It was just so fun.”

She admitted she didn’t “think anybody cared” she left, but revealed that the cast and crew took it “totally fine” when she announced she’d be exiting. “Sometimes you just know,” Rapp explained. “Also, nothing on a set is ever a secret. At least, it’s really hard to do that. Also, I was the last one finding out about things. So I don’t really think anybody cared, to be honest. I’m sure somebody did, but I don’t care.”

Rapp’s departure was first announced in July 2023, and it was unknown at the time how many episodes of the third season she would still be appearing in. She wound up appearing in the first two episodes of Season 3 before officially saying goodbye to the fictional Essex College. The Sex Lives of College Girls also starred Pauline Chalamet, Amrit Kaur, Alyah Chanelle Scott, Christopher Meyer, Ilia Isorelýs Paulino, Renika Williams, Lauren “Lolo” Spencer, Midori Francis, Mia Rodgers, and Gracie Lawrence.

Reneé Rapp’s decision to leave the series to focus on her music turned out to be a good choice. She released her debut studio album Snow Angel in August 2023, followed by her sophomore album Bite Me, which was just released on Aug. 1. That album’s lead single, “Leave Me Alone,” released in May, peaked at No. 20 on Billboard’s Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart. Her upcoming Bite Me Tour kicks off on Sept. 23 and runs through March 2026.

It’s unknown if and when Rapp will return to acting. According to her IMDb, she has no projects in the works. She probably wants to put all her focus on music for now, but it’s possible she finds another show or film in the future.