The Sex Lives of College Girls co-creator Justin Noble is assuring fans they haven’t seen the last of Reneé Rapp‘s Leighton, who is back for a handful of episodes to wrap up her storyline in Season 3.
News of the actress’ departure from the Max dramedy broke last year, with a MyRumors exclusive report. At the time, it was revealed that the singer-songwriter would not be a series regular, readying to leave the show after a few episodes.
“[She] definitely still has some lessons and room to grow ahead of her,” Noble told Teen Vogue in a recent interview previewing the forthcoming third season. “She’ll be faced with a couple of big choices and she’ll have to make a couple of big decisions in all aspects of her life.”
The comments suggest that Leighton, a wealthy, New York-hailing legacy student whose storyline last season included pivotal life moments (such as coming out to her father, deciding to leave her sorority and getting back together with her ex) will not end abruptly. While plot details are kept under wraps, Noble teased that each of the four main characters will be facing turning points in Season 3, which kicks off with the girls’ sophomore year.
“[Co-creator] Mindy [Kaling], myself and the writers, we definitely chose chaos at the end of Season 2. And I think that is also a real thing that relationships in college go through. You have to learn your boundaries. You have to learn where you’re going to assert yourself with friendships [and] telling them what is and isn’t okay and what your needs are,” Noble explained.
Unfolding at the fictional New England-set Essex College, Sex Lives follows the trials and triumphs of four roomies navigating their freshman year of university. Stars Alyah Chanelle Scott, Pauline Chalamet and Amrit Kaur deal with relationship drama, fitting in, class headaches and gross frat parties.
Since her TV debut, Rapp has gone on to build a budding music career with a steady stream of fans, releasing debut album Snow Angel — which debuted at No. 44 on the Billboard 200 — last summer through Interscope. She made her Broadway debut in Mean Girls as Regina George in 2019, a character she reprised in the musical film remake in 2024.
Sex Lives, a top performer for the streamer, will also introduce a new cast of characters this season, including Devin Craig (Queen Sugar), Ruby Cruz (Bottoms), Michael Provost (Insatiable) and Roby Attal (Haunting of Bly Manor). Mia Rodgers and Gracie Lawrence will also appear as series regulars, alongside recurring stars Nabeel Muscatwalla, Rebecca Wisocky and Michael Hsu.