How Reneé Rapp Was Written Out of “The Sex Life of College Girls” Is Absolutely Brilliant

Reneé Rapp’s time on The Sex Lives of College Girls has officially come to an end—and, boy, what a way to say goodbye. After announcing in July 2023 that she was leaving the MAX series, fans were left hanging, wondering how the character Rapp played with heart and sass, would be written out.

Well, it turns out the Sex Lives writers went with something that felt true to Leighton Murray’s journey—not too flashy, but definitely meaningful. As season three kicks off, we finally get the answer.

So how did Leighton leave Essex, you ask? The answer is actually pretty simple but emotional. Let’s dive into how her farewell plays out, and you’ll see how it all makes sense in the end.

This article contains spoilers!

Reneé Rapp’s Heartfelt Exit from The Sex Lives of College Girls Explained

Reneé Rapp‘s Leighton Murray left The Sex Lives of College Girls in a way that feels real and fits her character perfectly. It wasn’t some crazy, dramatic exit—just like college life isn’t always filled with big moments.

In the season three premiere, Leighton finds out that her high-level math class is canceled due to low enrollment. Her professor tells her she can go to a nearby college for the class, but that involves taking a bus.

Leighton, who’s already stressed about her life, isn’t excited about the idea of traveling for her studies. The whole situation leads her to question the direction of her life. Things get even more complicated when her girlfriend Alicia (played by Midori Francis) drops a major bombshell—she’s dropping out of college to work for the mayor of Boston.

Alicia choosing to leave college to pursue her career makes Leighton take a hard look at her own life. She makes a big decision: she’s transferring to MIT to continue her studies. MIT? Yeah—the one of the most famous and prestigious schools in the world.

But Leighton doesn’t tell her suitemates—Whitney (Alyah Chanelle Scott), Kimberly (Pauline Chalamet), and Bela (Amrit Kaur) right away. Instead, they find out from their former suitemate Jocelyn (Lauren Spencer), and naturally, they’re not too happy about it.

The girls confront Leighton, and emotions get real. Leighton apologizes to her friends, explaining how much they meant to her. She says (as tears rolling down her face):

I came to Essex thinking I was going to date men and I would be in Kappa — and I would have done those things. And I would have been miserable. And then I met you three, and you gave me the strength to be myself.

In the end, the suitemates understand, and they all share one last fun night together before Leighton heads out with her father. The girls throw a pregame in their old dorm room, celebrating the good times and the friendship they’ve had. Leighton leaves, not with a dramatic bang, but with a quiet, heartfelt goodbye that feels true to her character’s growth.

How Showrunners Crafted Reneé Rapp’s Perfect Farewell Storyline

Justin Noble, the show’s co-showrunner, told The Hollywood Reporter that the decision was made fairly quickly. When the team started brainstorming how to write out a character, they realized that, in college, not every exit can be a huge, dramatic event. In other words, they couldn’t send Leighton off in some unexpected way. Noble admitted:

It’s not like Reneé’s character was gonna go on a hike, and then Kimberly’s like, ‘You mean the rocky, dangerous hike near the cliff?’ And then, she falls off or something. Really, the only thing that could happen was that she would transfer to a different school.

It’s a common part of college life, and it made sense for Leighton’s character. After all, she was always figuring out what she wanted from her studies and relationships.

Moving to MIT was a big change, but it also felt like the next logical step for her. The writers didn’t need to create any fake drama. Sometimes, the best way to say goodbye is simply to leave for something new and better.

Reneé Rapp Opened Up About Challenges Playing Leighton Murray

While Reneé Rapp’s time on the show may be over, it’s clear she had a blast playing Leighton. In fact, she was excited to land the role in the first place. Rapp, who’s also a talented singer, was thrilled to audition for a character like Leighton, who was queer and complex.

She’d never been given the chance to play a character like that before, and she jumped at the opportunity. But it wasn’t all smooth sailing for the 24-year-old. In an interview with Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy, Rapp talked about how tough the first season of filming was for her. She admitted:

I was just in a panic constantly. And I wasn’t [straight], but I was so freaked out by the idea of my sexuality not being finite or people laughing at me or me laughing at myself that I hated first year of filming.

The actress continued:

I wanted so badly to do a good job. I wanted to play the role in the way that if I saw it as a kid it would feel good to me. I also wanted to do a good job so bad that I was so nervous all the time. It was so much the first season.

Despite the challenges, Rapp pushed through, and by the end of the first season, she felt proud of the work she had done. She was glad to have taken on the role, even though it had been hard at times. Playing Leighton was a way for her to represent something important to her, and the star was happy she got the chance to do that.

The Sex Lives of College Girls is available to watch on Max!