Karen Pittman Leaves ‘And Just Like That,’ Season 3 Will Not Include Nya

Sex and the City spinoff series And Just Like That is returning for a third season — and the upcoming episodes are already the talk of the town.

The original series, which ran on HBO from 1998 to 2004, focused on Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) and her dating life in New York alongside her friends Charlotte (Kristin Davis), Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon) and Samantha (Kim Cattrall). Sex and the City expanded into two movies before Max revived the show in December 2021.

And Just Like That has since gotten viewers talking for a multitude of reasons. From killing Mr. Big (Chris Noth) off in the series premiere to Samantha’s absence and Miranda and Steve’s split, Sex and the City fans haven’t been thrilled about all the changes taking place on screen.

Showrunner Michael Patrick King, meanwhile, has stood by the Max show’s decision to take big swings.

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“We did something that was hard to do, which is we took something familiar and did make it new,” King told Variety in February 2022. “For better and for worse.”

King weighed in on some of the reactions he saw on social media, adding, “I monitor in macro, not micro. I monitor in the drum beats: ‘This is the best thing I’ve ever seen! This is the worst thing I’ve ever seen. They should all be killed! I can’t live without them. The clothes are terrible, the clothes are great.’ I’m not into the minutia of anything.”

Keep scrolling for everything we know about the third season of And Just Like That:

When Will the Show Return?

Despite being renewed for a third season in August 2023, viewers will have a bit of a wait for more episodes. The decision came after the WGA and SAG-AFTRA both went on strike amid individual labor disputes with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.

The dual strikes were resolved by the end of the year, but And Just Like That’s premiere date has been delayed to 2025.

Where Did the Main Story Lines Leave Off?

During the second season finale, which aired in August 2023, Carrie and Aidan (John Corbett) parted ways after rekindling their romance for a third time. It remained up in the air whether Carrie and Aidan would reunite after his sons were all grown up. Regardless of the split, Carrie moved out of her iconic apartment into a new space with a cat.

Miranda, meanwhile, made amends with Steve (David Eigenberg) and they agreed to be friends following their divorce. She later crossed paths with recent ex Che Diaz (Sara Ramirez) and the former couple got to a better place as well.

As for Anthony (Mario Cantone), he struggled to make a commitment with boyfriend Giuseppe (Sebastiano Pigazzi). After Anthony found out that his ex-husband, Stanford (Willie Garson), became a Shinto monk, he was able to move forward with his own life and with Giuseppe.

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Nya (Karen Pittman), for her part, found out she was elected to the American Law Institute, but it was her personal life that needed more attention. At the end of the episode, Nya crossed paths with the Michelin chef (Toussaint Feldman) again, which hinted at a possible romance.

Meanwhile, Lisa Todd Wexley (Nicole Ari Parker) revealed that she miscarried her child and attempted to deal with the loss.

Seema’s (Sarita Choudhury) journey wrapped up with her deciding not to travel with her director boyfriend, Ravi (Armin Amiri), to Egypt. Instead, she agreed to wait for him while he spent five months shooting a movie.

Will There Be Character Departures in Season 3?

In January 2024, Daily Mail reported that Ramirez was dropped from And Just Like That because her character was unlikable. Ramirez didn’t address the news at the time, but they did take to social media to call out the film and television industry for punishing actors who have spoken out in support of Palestinians amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine.

In the post, Ramirez used the past tense while discussing their role as Che on AJLT. Max has yet to confirm Ramirez’s exit or return.

In March 2024, Max confirmed that Karen Pittman would not return as Nya Wallace due to her commitments to Apple TV+’s The Morning Show and Netflix’s Forever.

“It has been a joy to have Karen Pittman play the smart and stunning Professor Nya Wallace on the first two seasons of And Just Like That…,” Max said in a statement. “As we have thoroughly enjoyed working with this dynamic actress, so too have others. Due to her commitments to two other streamer series, it has become apparent that filming three shows at once isn’t possible. Due to the production realities, we are disappointed to announce that scheduling conflicts will not allow us to continue with this character as part of season 3 of And Just Like That… Karen and Nya will be missed, and her Max family and fans will all be cheering her on in her other endeavors.”

Can Fans Expect Aidan to Return in Season 3?

After his highly anticipated return, viewers were shocked to find out that Aidan wouldn’t be a consistent presence on the hit Max series. In the season 2 finale, Aidan returned home to Virginia, where he lived with his three teenage sons, after his youngest child got into a car accident. Aidan asked Carrie to wait for him to make his permanent move back to New York — in five years.

“Aidan believes now that bad things happen when he’s not there,” King said during an August 2024 episode of AJLT’s companion podcast. “He admits to [Carrie] that he’s really the home for these three boys — and that’s who he’s always been.”

Aidan and Carrie spent the night together before his departure but it is unclear what their future will look like in future seasons.

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Will Samantha Be Back?

After appearing in six seasons of Sex and the City and two movies, Cattrall opted out of the Max series due to a falling out between her and Parker. Cattrall said she had no plans to reprise her role as Samantha but she ultimately filmed a cameo for season 2.

According to multiple outlets, Cattrall didn’t interact with Parker or King on set and taped the scene by herself. This presumably means Cattrall’s onscreen appearance was likely a one-time situation.

What Is the Vision for Season 3?

King previously hinted that Carrie and Seema’s trip to Greece offers a glimpse at the next chapter of the show.

“I knew it was going to end before anything that Carrie and Seema would be sitting on a beach in Greece looking out at the horizon, that it would not end with Carrie and Aidan,” he said on AJLT’s companion podcast in August 2023. “Our only little tip to you, the audience [and] the people who are watching and wondering what we’re thinking.”

King continued: “There’s a little, tiny thread of what we’re thinking at the end, which is Seema says, ‘Well we ran at love, and where did that get us?’ And she goes, ‘I’m waiting five months and you’re waiting five years.’ And Carrie goes, ‘Well, I may get some time off for good behavior.’ You would only say that if you’re already going, ‘It’s not gonna be five years.’ She’s very cute, but she does go on to say, ‘There will be others.’”

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What Does the Cast Want to See?

In December 2023, Nicole Ari said she would like to see Lisa’s relationship with her husband get more screen time, telling PureWow, “I think we’ll see more of LTW, hopefully with Chris Jackson, who plays Herbert.”

When Does Filming Begin?

Ari Parker revealed to Entertainment Tonight in February 2024 that she and the cast “go back to work in May.” While the actress remained tight-lipped about casting for season 3, she teased that she had been “sworn to secrecy” about the upcoming story lines.