Reneé Rapp has seemingly used her new single to take shots at HBO’s The Sex Lives of College Girls, the series that helped her gain widespread recognition.
The rising pop star, 25, co-led the first two seasons as Leighton Murray, starring alongside Pauline Chalamet, Amrit Kaur and Alyah Chanelle Scott. Rapp left the series in season three to focus on her music career — a departure that marked a major turning point for the show. Ratings dropped significantly, and the series was canceled just months after the release of its third season.
In her new song, “Leave Me Alone,” released Wednesday, Rapp appears to hint at how her exit impacted the show.
In the song’s second verse, the Mean Girls star sings: “I brought my sex life with me, now the show ain’t f***ing / Leave me alone, b****, I wanna have fun.”
The Independent has contacted Rapp’s representative for comment.
The Sex Lives of College Girls, co-created and written by Mindy Kaling, first debuted in 2021. It followed the lives of four roommates, Leighton, Kimberly (Chalamet), Bela (Kaur) and Whitney (Scott), as they navigated their newfound freedom at New England’s prestigious Essex College.
Leighton’s journey from closeted freshman to proudly out sophomore was among the show’s most profound storylines. Speaking to The Independent in 2023 about the importance of her character’s evolution, Rapp, who also identifies as lesbian, said: “There’s an inherent responsibility. If you’re somebody who has any sort of visibility as a queer person, right?
“You don’t want to be spewing bulls***. You want to be careful and respectful and inclusive and really honest.”
She later recalled the difficult decision to quit the show, telling The Hollywood Reporter that it was “hard for so many reasons.”
“That [show] was the most parallel experience in my life, and I remember doing that specific coming-out scene and not acting at all. At all,” she said at the time. “I was just sobbing. I see that and I don’t see a character. I’m like, ‘That’s me.’”
Following Rapp’s departure from the show, Leighton was replaced by Kacey (Gracie Lawrence) as the fourth roommate. British actor Mia Rodgers, Ruby Cruz, comedian Tig Notaro, and Bless This Mess’s Belle Adams also joined as new cast members.
Addressing her exit, the Broadway alum told The Independent that while she was grateful for the opportunity, “for the first time ever now, I see myself as an artist and I’m really proud of that.”
“It’s the only thing I’ve wanted in my entire life,” Rapp added. That year, she released her debut album, Snow Angel, which landed at number 44 on the US Billboard 200.
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