Denying the drama. Colman Domingo has heard the rumors surrounding Barbie Ferreira’s exit from Euphoria — and he’d like everyone to calm down.
“I don’t think there’s really any drama to it. I think people make more drama than it actually is,” Domingo, 52, exclusively told Us Weekly at The Creative Coalition TV Humanitarian Awards on Sunday, September 11, where the actor was one of the night’s honorees. “It’s an ensemble show and I think she was moving on creatively.”
The model, 25, who played Kat Hernandez on the teen drama, announced last month that she would be exiting the series.
“After four years of getting to embody the most special and enigmatic character Kat, I’m having to say a very teary-eyed goodbye,” she wrote via her Instagram Story at the time. “I hope many of you could see yourself in her like I did and that she brought you joy to see her journey into the character she is today. I put all my care and love into her and I hope you guys could feel it.”
Ferreira’s surprising departure comes months after The Daily Beast published a report that speculated the Unpregnant star and creator Sam Levinson had a falling out, which resulted in the actress walking off set.
Domingo, who portrayed Ali Muhammed on the second season of the HBO series, explained that despite false allegations of behind-the-scenes drama, there has been “nothing that has actually happened” between Ferreira and Levinson, 37, that contributed to her surprisingly early exit.
“I think people like to spin it into something more when it’s actually you know certain story lines emerge, some things recede,” he revealed to Us. “Things become larger, some things smaller, and it’s just about storytelling.”
The Pennsylvania native also shared that the Nope star’s departure has made it more of “something that was never anything,” noting that in many cases, it’s simply due to people being “open for other opportunities.”
While Ferreira might be parting ways with Euphoria, Domingo is just getting started. The actor, who just won a 2022 Emmy for his role as Rue Bennett’s (Zendaya) 12-step sponsor, only wants to dig deeper into who the character of Ali is as the show progresses.
“I would like to see more of Ali’s back story in some way. I would like to see what he’s like not in relation to Rue,” he shared. “What is he like at home? How does he date? What does he eat? What’s his life about? How did he become this man that sits across from Rue and tries to inspire her?”
Domingo and Zendaya, 26 — who is nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress this year — garnered critical acclaim in December 2021 for their Euphoria Christmas special “Trouble Don’t Last Always.” The bottle episode features Ali and a distraught Rue as she edges closer to self-destruction in the wake of her breakup with Jules (Hunter Schafer).
“Zendaya called me [after I won the Emmy]. [She] FaceTimed me and she was close to tears. We’re very supportive of each other. It truly is a love fest with the cast and crew. All the creators of it, they’re just really the best in the business,” Domingo gushed of his onscreen family.
While the Lincoln star couldn’t share any details about what lies ahead for the teen drama, he did promise that season 3 would be nothing short of “incredible.”
“Sam has such an inventive mind and I think when you know what it is, he’ll try to pull the rug out from underneath you just a little bit,” he revealed.
Reporting by Diana Cooper
