‘Sex and the City’ Drama Through the Years: A Timeline

Credit: Kevin Mazur/WireImage

‘Sex and the City’ Drama Through the Years: A Timeline

Just as Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte had their adventures, the cast of Sex and the City have been on what seems like a roller coaster since the show began in 1999. After running for six seasons, the HBO series wrapped in 2004. The costars went on to reprise their roles four years later: Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon starred in two Sex and the City films, one in 2008 and a second in 2010. However, the drama has never stayed on the screen. In January 2020, the cast announced that a revival series is coming to HBO Max, titled And Just Like That. It will follow Parker, Davis and Nixon's characters through their 50s. Cattrall will not be part of the series. “I couldn’t help but wonder… where are they now?” Parker wrote via Instagram at the time alongside a snippet of footage. The clip featured a few New York City sights and the words, “And just like that … the story continues,” being typed across a computer screen. The Hocus Pocus actress also addressed whether they were replacing Cattrall’s character in the new show, telling TMZ in January 2021, “We’re not looking to bring in a fourth character. We have New York City as a fourth character.” [sendtonews type="float" key="gsYbbZtpRZ-2835192-14453"] The Just Just Want to Have Fun star also claimed that she does not “dislike” her former costar, via an Instagram post that same month. “I’ve never said that. Never would,” Parker added. Cattrall, for her part, hasn’t publicly commented on the new SATC series, but some of her other castmates have seemingly hinted that the feud between her and the rest of the women is still ongoing. “I do know that I’m very close with SJ and [Cattrall’s] descriptions of her don’t even come close,” Chris Noth, who plays Mr. Big in the franchise, told The Guardian in December 2021, noting he had “no idea” what Cattrall’s thinking is at this point. “I liked [Cattrall], I thought she was marvelous in the show and some people move on for their own reasons.” He continued: "I don’t know what hers were. I just wish that whole thing had never happened because it was sad and uncomfortable.” Scroll down to relive the Sex and the City cast’s ups and downs over the years: [podcast_block]

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December 2004

When Sex and the City was ending, Cattrall admitted she wanted more money. "I felt after six years it was time for all of us to participate in the financial windfall of Sex and the City," she said on Friday Night With Jonathan Ross. She admitted she asked for $1 million an episode. "When they didn't seem keen on that, I thought it was time to move on.”

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May 2008

During the filming of the first Sex and the City movie, Parker stood up for Cattrall during an on-set interview. "She mentioned money and no one should vilify her for it," Parker told The Telegraph. "People made a decision that we had vilified her. No one bothered to say [to the rest of us], 'Are you disappointed by not making the movie?' Yes. 'Do you respect and support her choice to not do it?' Absolutely.'"

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December 2009

During a photo shoot, Parker told Elle magazine, "I don't think anybody wants to believe that I love Kim. I adore her. I wouldn't have done the movie without her. Didn't and wouldn't.”

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January 2010

Cattrall complimented Parker right back in 2010. In an interview with The Daily Mail, the actress said people didn't want to "believe" that they get along and instead pits them against each other. "It makes for juicy gossip. The truth of us being friends and getting along and happily doing our jobs together is nowhere near as newsworthy. I think Sarah is fantastic," Cattrall said. "She is a born leader and she guides the crew and the cast in such a strong but gentle way. She and I are sick of this. It's exhausting talking about it, and a real bore. Next?”

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May 2010

In an interview with Marie Claire, Parker admitted that spending so much time together, it's natural that the four women butt heads sometimes. "You're on set, you're working 90-hour weeks, you're never home, you're exhausted. There are times when all of us have been sensitive and sometimes feelings get hurt. But I don't have any regrets about how I've treated people," she said.

Cattrall added: "Nineteen-hour workdays are stressful, whether you're driving a truck, working in a coal mine or on a set and trying to be your brightest at 4 o'clock in the morning. But there's a camaraderie that happened through all of that — the chemistry among the four of us is very strong."

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October 2016

During an interview with Howard Stern, Parker pointed out that the men of Sopranos were never asked if they all got along. "No one ever said to them, 'Did you hang out this weekend with each other? Did you give each other Christmas presents?'" she noted. "These were my sisters, these were people that I grew to love and admire ... Was every day perfect? Were people always desperately, hopefully in love with each other? No, but this is a family of people who needed each other, relied upon each other and loved each other. This sort of narrative, this ongoing catfight, it really upset me for a very long time.”

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September 2017

In an interview with Extra, Parker revealed that a third Sex andthe City movie is not happening, although the script was already writen. “I’m disappointed. We had this beautiful, funny, heartbreaking, joyful, very relatable script and story," she said. "It’s not just disappointing that we don’t get to tell the story and have that experience, but more so for that audience that has been so vocal in wanting another movie."

Following Parker’s statement, Willie Garson, who played Standord Blatch in the series, retweeted an article claiming that Cattrall’s “outrageous demands” caused the film to be shelved. “And that, is that. And sadly, the reasons are true. Period,” he wrote. In another tweet, he added more fuel to fire: “Disappointed for all crew holding on for negotiations to conclude for their jobs, and of course, for the fans. Leave it at that.”

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October 2017

During an appearance on Piers Morgan’s Life Stories, Cattrall pointed out that she never asked for money, but her heart just "wasn't in it" enough to do a third film. She also made headlines when she noted that she and her costars had "never been friends" to begin with. "We’ve been colleagues and in some way, it’s a very healthy place to be," she said.

Kristin Davis, a.k.a. Charlotte York, wasn’t quite ready to say goodbye to the film just like that. In an interview with E! News, the actress reiterated that the four women “love each other” and feel happy to have just had the experience. “Maybe we’ll figure out something to do, I don’t know, it would be great,” she said. “I just feel like it’s a positive thing all the way around. I’m sad that we’re not doing the movie but at the same time, I love the support so much and I’m so grateful for it.”

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January 2018

As 2018 began, Parker began promoting season 2 of Divorce and was repeatedly asked about the third film. She jokingly offered the role of Samantha to both Stephen Colbert and Ellen DeGeneres, also telling DeGeneres that down the road, "perhaps we'll find a way" to do a third film. Cattrall later responded to a tweet about DeGeneres playing Samantha saying "She'd be fabulous!"

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February 2018

Following the sudden death of Cattrall’s brother, Parker sent her condolences via Instagram and her former costar was not happy, publicly calling her out. “I don’t need your love or support at this tragic time @sarahjessicaparker,” the image read. In the caption, she went even further. "Your continuous reaching out is a painful reminder of how cruel you really were then and now. Let me make this VERY clear (if I haven’t already). You are not my family. You are not my friend. So I’m writing to tell you one last time to stop exploiting our tragedy in order to restore your ‘nice girl’ persona."

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November 2018

Sans Cattrall, the cast of SATC addressed the reported drama on set during a November 2018 interview on journalist James Andrew Miller’s “Origins” podcast. "Kristin, Cynthia and Sarah Jessica became one group, and Kim never joined mentally,” EP and writer Michael Patrick King said. "Kim fought and said, 'I'm everyone's favorite.' … [Parker's] name was contractually, legally, righteously, the only name on the poster due to the fact that she was a movie star in 1998 when the series started and she did a leap to do a show about sex on [HBO], the channel that did the fights, and it doesn't matter how popular you are. I guess for Kim it didn't matter how much the raise became if there was never parity, but there was never going to be parity."

Parker added: "I'm not in a catfight with anybody. I've never publicly — ever — said anything unfriendly, unappreciative about Kim because that's not how I feel about her."

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January 2021

After HBO Max announced that the series will be revived — this time called And Just Like That, following Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte through their 50s — many thought that meant they didn't like Cattrall, something Parker shot down via Instagram. "I don’t dislike her. I’ve never said that. Never would. Samantha isn’t part of this story, but she will always be a part of us. No matter where we are or what we do. X," she wrote.

While Cattrall has yet to comment about the HBO Max revival, she "liked" a tweet about her choice not to be a part of it. The message read, "I absolutely love Sex and the City and whilst I am saddened that Samantha will not return, I applaud doing what is best for you and think this is [a] great example of putting yourself first. Well done @KimCattrall."

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January 2021

Eagle-eyed fans noticed that Cattrall “liked” a telling tweet about the And Just Like That series. "I absolutely love Sex and the City and whilst I am saddened that Samantha will not return, I applaud doing what is best for you and think this is [a] great example of putting yourself first. Well done @KimCattrall," the post read.

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December 2021

The And Just Like That executive producer Michael Patrick King said that there were "never" any plans to include Cattrall's character in the revival. “It never was on the radar as four because Kim Cattrall, for whatever reason, didn’t want to play Samantha anymore while we were doing the [third] movie,” King told The Hollywood Reporter. “I never thought, ‘Oh, there’s a hole I have to fill.' Samantha doesn’t not exist in their lives. The show was born of these three characters: What’s their life, and who can I bring in to inform it?”

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December 2021

Noth called the ongoing feud between Cattrall and the SATC cast “sad,” while speaking with The Guardian. “I have to tell you, I have absolutely no idea what her thinking is, or her emotions,” he explained as to why Cattrall didn’t join the reboot, noting he was “not happy” with how the actress spoke about Parker over the years. "I don’t know what her [reasons for leaving the SATC family] were. I just wish that whole thing had never happened because it was sad and uncomfortable.”

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May 2023

News broke on May 31 that Cattrall would make a brief cameo in the And Just Like That season 2 finale. According to Variety, the Filthy Rich alum did not interact with Parker or King while filming her singular scene in the episode.