Sex and the City fans around the world were stunned in late May, when Variety reported that Kim Cattrall was making a long-awaited appearance in the Max spin-off And Just Like That…
Cattrall, 67, played Samantha Jones on all six seasons of the original HBO series Sex and the City, a role she reprised in two movies in 2008 and 2010.
Rumors surfaced about a feud between Cattrall and Sarah Jessica Parker nearly two decades earlier, and while both Cattrall and Parker have denied those rumors, it came as no surprise when she wasn’t returning for And Just Like That, when it debuted on Max in 2021.
It was explained in the debut episode that Samantha had moved to London, with Parker’s Carrie Bradshaw reaching out to her in a text later that season, and in the Season one finale, they made a plan to see each other and reconcile.
So, as Cattrall makes her return – and the show celebrates its 25th anniversary – we’re looking back at all of the drama that lead up to this long-awaited cameo.
She’s back! Sex And The City fans were stunned to see Kim Catrall make her long-awaited cameo in the finale of the second season of And Just Like That…
Original cast: Cattrall, 67, played Samantha Jones on all six seasons of the original HBO series Sex and the City, a role she reprised in two movies in 2008 and 2010
September 2004 – Kim Doesn’t Sit With SATC Co-Stars At Emmy Awards
One of the very first signs that there was drama between Cattrall and Parker was in mid-September at the Emmy Awards, just seven months after the show completed its seven-season run.
While Parker, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon were all photographed smiling together at their table, Kim Cattrall was nowhere to be found.
Parker won her second Emmy that night for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, while Nixon won her first Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.
Nixon beat out both Cattrall and Davis for the award, along with Doris Roberts (Everybody Loves Raymond) and Megan Mullally (Will & Grace).
November 2004 – Kim Admits That Money Was at the Root of SATC Ending
Parker, who served as both the leading star and a producer on the original Sex and the City, was earning quite a bit more than her co-stars, a point which Cattrall wanted to rectify if the show would continue.
Cattrall appeared on the UK TV talk show Friday Night With Jonathan Ross, where she insinuated that others should participate in the financial success of the show, beyond Parker.
‘I felt after six years it was time for all of us to participate in the financial windfall of Sex and the City. When they didn’t seem keen on that I thought it was time to move on,’ Cattrall said.
Cattrall did also indicate, though, ‘If the deal was right and the script was fabulous, absolutely I would,’ return as Samantha Jones.
No Kim: While Parker, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon were all photographed smiling together at their table, Kim Cattrall was nowhere to be found
Emmy winners: Parker won her second Emmy that night for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, while Nixon won her first Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, while Nixon beat out both Cattrall and Davis for the award, along with Doris Roberts (Everybody Loves Raymond) and Megan Mullally (Will & Grace)
May 2008 – SJP Defends Kim Who Clarifies There Were Family Reasons Behind Filming Delays on the First Movie
A report from the Sex and the City movie set was published by The Telegraph just days before the movie debuted in May 2008, where both SJP and Kim opened up about the movie.
There were reports that Kim’s salary demands were the reason for the delays in filming, with Parker insisting that the cast is all friends, while defending her co-star asking for more money.
‘Honestly, we are all friends and I wish I saw more of Kim,’ protests Parker. ‘She mentioned money and no one should vilify her for it. 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,’ Parker said
Cattrall added on the set, ‘Looking back four years ago to when we were discussing a movie, it was a really tough time for me. I was going through a divorce and my job of seven years was coming to an end. Then my dad was diagnosed with dementia. So I took a step back and returned to Canada, where my family is – that’s the reason behind it. It wasn’t all about the money.’
2009 – SJP and Kim’s Friendship Reportedly Ends on the Movie Set of Sex and the City 2
Parker and Cattrall reportedly clashed on the set of Sex and the City 2 in 2009, which was so bad it brought the friendship to an end.
A 2009 report from New York Magazine claimed, ‘Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Cattrall are no longer speaking, which is making everyone on the set of the new Sex and the City movie uncomfortable.
Still, both SJP and Cattrall deny any feud rumors, with Parker telling Elle in November 2009, ‘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.’
Meanwhile, Cattrall told Daily Mail in a wide-ranging January 2010 interview, ‘I think Sarah was right: People don’t want to believe that we get on. They have too much invested in the idea of two strong, successful women fighting with each other. It makes for juicy gossip and copy. 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. 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?’
Opening up: A report from the Sex and the City movie set was published by The Telegraph just days before the movie debuted in May 2008, where both SJP and Kim opened up about the movie
More money: There were reports that Kim’s salary demands were the reason for the delays in filming, with Parker insisting that the cast is all friends, while defending her co-star asking for more money
Friendship over: Parker and Cattrall reportedly clashed on the set of Sex and the City 2 in 2009, which was so bad it brought the friendship to an end
May 2010 – Cast Downplay Feud Rumors While Promoting Sex and the City 2
The Sex and the City 2 cast was featured on the cover of Marie Claire for a cover story, when the feud rumors were discussed.
‘When 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,’ Parker said.
Cattrall added, ‘The chemistry among the four of us is very strong,’ and when asked why these rumors persist, she added, ‘Because the press has to put women in these boxes, rather than show them as the movie portrays them: working together and being powerful. Things just have to be explosive for no other reason than for people’s imaginations.’
Davis laughed off rumors as ‘ridiculous,’ while Nixon admitted, ‘It hasn’t always been smooth sailing. But the idea that we’re somehow adversarial is ludicrous.’
August 2016 – SJP Wishes Cattrall A Happy 60th Birthday
In perhaps another attempt to subvert rampant feud rumors, Parker takes to Instagram to wish Cattrall a happy 60th birthday with a throwback snap.
‘Happy birthday you beauty @kimcattrall. Sending love and the very best for a perfectly marvelous, joyous, healthy and adventure filled birthday year,’ she said.
She concluded, ‘Your ol’ pal, fellow mischief maker and “sister”, Sj xxx,’ she said in the caption.
Still, the rumors persisted, as Parker continued to address them – and deny them – over the last few months, while promoting her HBO series Divorce.
No feud: The Sex and the City 2 cast was featured on the cover of Marie Claire for a cover story, when the feud rumors were discussed
Fall 2016 – Parker Shoots Down Feud Rumors Again Insisting She Treats People Well On Set
As Parker continued to promote her role in Divorce, she also continued shutting down feud rumors in the fall of 2016.
She told Time in September 2016, ‘It was always so heartbreaking to me that there was this narrative about Kim and myself because it just didn’t reflect anything that happened on that set. They just didn’t do it to the Sopranos guys. It was so strange to me and upsetting. I posted something on Kim’s birthday and people were like, “Oh my god, I didn’t know you liked her!” What? We were all at liberty to walk away at any time! But nobody asked those questions of shows with men. Isn’t that interesting?’
She also went on the Howard Stern Show where she said, ‘This sort of narrative, this ongoing catfight, it really used to upset me. It was usually about bad behavior on the set and I take very seriously my reputation. I work really hard and I treat people well.’
She added, ‘I have a work ethic that’s very meaningful to me and it’s based on the affection I feel for the people I get to work with. To suggest that I’m behaving poorly or not treating somebody well…it would drive me bananas.’
September 2017 – Kim Cattrall Denies Claims Her ‘Demands’ Halted Sex and the City 3… Though Willie Garson Speaks Out as Well
Daily Mail reported that a third Sex and the City movie was heading into pre-production, though Cattrall’s ‘demands’ ultimately shut the project down.
The report revealed that Cattrall insisted that Warner Bros. produce other movies she was developing or she wouldn’t sign on, and the studio didn’t agree to those terms and then canceled the movie because they decided, ‘it wouldn’t be fair to the fans’ to make a movie with just three of the original show’s four stars.
Cattrall responded to the report with a tweet, stating, ‘Woke 2 a @MailOnline *s**t emoji* storm! The only ‘DEMAND’ I ever made was that I didn’t want to do a 3rd film….& that was back in 2016.’
However that same day, Willie Garson, who played Stanford Blatch on the series, seemed to lend credence to the reports, though he did not mention Cattrall by name.
‘Disappointed for all crew holding on for negotiations to conclude for their jobs, and of course, for the fans. Leave it at that. #Truth Every cast member is integral, and all did amazing work, and would have in this lovely script as well. Nothing to do if one doesn’t want to,’ Garson said in two tweets.
Shutting down: As Parker continued to promote her role in Divorce, she also continued shutting down feud rumors in the fall of 2016
Stern: She also went on the Howard Stern Show where she said, ‘This sort of narrative, this ongoing catfight, it really used to upset me. It was usually about bad behavior on the set and I take very seriously my reputation. I work really hard and I treat people well’
Kim responds: Cattrall responded to the report with a tweet, stating, ‘Woke 2 a @MailOnline *s**t emoji* storm! The only ‘DEMAND’ I ever made was that I didn’t want to do a 3rd film….& that was back in 2016′
Willie tweets: However that same day, Willie Garson, who played Stanford Blatch on the series, seemed to lend credence to the reports, though he did not mention Cattrall by name
Truth: ‘Disappointed for all crew holding on for negotiations to conclude for their jobs, and of course, for the fans. Leave it at that. #Truth Every cast member is integral, and all did amazing work, and would have in this lovely script as well. Nothing to do if one doesn’t want to,’ Garson said in two tweets
October 2017 – Kim Fires Back And Says She and SJP Were ‘Never Friends’ While a New Report Claims Parker Was Always ‘Mean’ To Her Co-Star
After the initial report surfaced, Cattrall was interviewed by Piers Morgan, revealing she had never made any ‘demands’ to be in Sex and the City 3.
‘I remember so clearly, making that decision, and last December, I got a phone call and it was concerning that and the answer was simply, “Thank you, but no,”‘ she said.
‘The answer was always no. I never asked for any money, I never asked for any projects. To be thought of as some kind of diva is ridiculous,’ she added.
She also said Sarah Jessica Parker, ‘could have been nicer. I really think she could have been nicer,’ adding she hadn’t been in contact with any of her co-stars and said it felt like being in a, ‘toxic relationship.’
She also clarified, ‘We’ve never been friends. We’ve been colleagues, and in some ways, it’s a very healthy place to be.’
Just days later, a New York Post report claimed that a pervasive, ‘Mean Girls culture’ was what really ‘ruined’ the Sex and the City franchise, claiming that Cattrall was isolated from the main stars for years, and when her only ally on set – original series creator Darren Star – left the series after the second season, she was truly on her own, which is when Michael Patrick King took over, a close friend of Parker’s who created And Just Like That…
February 2018 – Kim Lashes Out at SJP For Using Her Brother’s Death to ‘Restore Your Nice Girl Persona’
Kim suffered a tragic loss in February when her younger brother Christopher died at 55 from suicide, but when Parker sent well-wishes on social media, Cattrall made it clear they are not friends whatsoever.
‘My Mom asked me today “When will that @sarahjessicaparker, that hypocrite, leave you alone?” Your continuous reaching out is a painful reminder of how cruel you really were then and now,’ Cattrall began.
‘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,’ Cattrall concluded.
She also posted the link to the New York Post article about the ‘Mean Girl culture’ within Sex and the City, seemingly indicating it was true.
Never friends: After the initial report surfaced, Cattrall was interviewed by Piers Morgan, revealing she had never made any ‘demands’ to be in Sex and the City 3
Not friends: Kim suffered a tragic loss in February when her younger brother Christopher died at 55 from suicide, but when Parker sent well-wishes on social media, Cattrall made it clear they are not friends whatsoever
February 2018 – Sarah Jessica Parker Responds to Cattrall’s Piers Morgan Interview
Parker insisted yet again that she never had any major drama with Cattrall, though she admitted being ‘disappointed’ that the third movie didn’t happen, during an appearance on Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live.
‘I never talked about it, except [to say] that some of us were disappointed [about the movie not happening]. But I never responded to the conversation Kim had with Piers Morgan, where she said things that were really hurtful about me,’ Parker said.
‘We had this experience and it was amazing, and nothing will ever be like it. We had a connection with an audience and we had a connection with the city and with this crew and we got to tell these crazy stories with each other. So I don’t want to mess with that,’ she said.
‘I couldn’t imagine anyone else playing that part. So there was no fight; it was completely fabricated, because I actually never responded. And I won’t, because she needed to say what she needed to say and that is her privilege,’ Parker concluded.
November 2018 – Sources Claim Cattrall Turned Down Sex And the City 3 Because of Money and a ‘Bad Script’
While it was extensively reported that Cattrall wanted more money and that was one of the reasons Sex and the City 3 didn’t happen, a new report claimed it was also due to the sub-standard story.
Sources told E! News that the script for the third movie included an awkward story line involving Cattrall’s Samantha and Brady, the 14-year-old son of Nixon’s Miranda… who sends d**k pics to Samantha.
‘Kim never wanted to really do the movie to begin with. It was a combination of not great money and a bad storyline for Samantha. It was a bad script,’ a source said.
It was also revealed earlier that the movie would feature the death of Chris Noth’s Mr. Big, which bothered Cattrall because the movie would be, ‘more about how Carrie recovers from Big’s death than about the relationship between the four women.’
Sarah admits: Parker insisted yet again that she never had any major drama with Cattrall, though she admitted being ‘disappointed’ that the third movie didn’t happen, during an appearance on Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live
![Disappointed: 'I never talked about it, except [to say] that some of us were disappointed [about the movie not happening]. But I never responded to the conversation Kim had with Piers Morgan, where she said things that were really hurtful about me,' Parker said](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/08/24/07/74584855-12431343-Disappointed_I_never_talked_about_it_except_to_say_that_some_of_-a-13_1692860056231.jpg "Will Kim Cattrall's post of SATC icon Samantha in And Just Like That... for International Women's Day hint at her return for spin-off's third season? 33")
Disappointed: ‘I never talked about it, except [to say] that some of us were disappointed [about the movie not happening]. But I never responded to the conversation Kim had with Piers Morgan, where she said things that were really hurtful about me,’ Parker said
Reports: While it was extensively reported that Cattrall wanted more money and that was one of the reasons Sex and the City 3 didn’t happen, a new report claimed it was also due to the sub-standard story
January 2021 – HBO Max Announces Sex and the City Continuation And Just Like That… Without Cattrall While SJP Says ‘Samantha Isn’t Part of This Story’
Just a few years after the Sex and the City 3 movie was canceled because Kim wanted no part of it, HBO Max moved forward with And Just Like That…
Naturally, Cattrall’s exclusion was a big sticking point for many fans, which lead Parker to comment on her social media post about the new show.
When one fan said that Parker and Cattrall, ‘don’t like each other,’ Parker responded, ‘No. I don’t dislike her. I’ve never said that. Never would. Samantha isn’t part of this story. But she will always be part of us. No matter where we are or what we do.’
HBO’s Casey Bloys indicated in February that Samantha won’t be a part of the series because her character simply drifted apart from the other three.
December 2021 – And Just Like That… Debuts And Reveals Samantha Has Moved to London
One of the burning questions heading into And Just Like That was whether or not the characters will even address the absence of Samantha, and it was answered very early on.
It was revealed that Samantha had moved to London to find new work, after SJP’s Carrie Bradshaw didn’t want her as a publicist anymore.
A few months later in February 2022, both Parker and creator Michael Patrick King insisted they didn’t think Cattrall would return.
Parker told Variety, ‘there’s just too much public history of feelings on her part that she’s shared,’ while King said, ‘I have no realistic expectation of Kim Cattrall ever appearing again.’
Debut: One of the burning questions heading into And Just Like That was whether or not the characters will even address the absence of Samantha, and it was answered very early on
May 2022 – Kim Speaks Out on And Just Like That… For the First Time
Cattrall opened up to Variety about her thoughts on the new series, which had wrapped up its first season in February 2022 with a text exchange between Carrie and Samantha.
‘It’s odd, isn’t it? I don’t know how to feel about it. It’s so finite for me, so it doesn’t continue. I think I would ponder it more if I didn’t have something like Queer as Folk or How I Met Your Father. That’s kind of where I’m centered around. This feels like an echo of the past,’ Cattrall said.
‘I loved [Samantha]. I loved her so, so, so much. It’s tough competition. The original show is in all of our imaginations. But for me, it feels clean,’ she said, adding again that she doesn’t think her co-stars were friends but ‘colleagues.’
May 2023 – Kim Cattrall Revealed to Have Filmed a Secret Cameo in the And Just Like That… Season 2 Finale
In a development that hardly anyone saw coming, Variety reported that Cattrall filmed a secret cameo in late March, and wasn’t seen by any of her former cast-mates on set.
Cattrall filmed a phone conversation between her Samantha in London and Parker’s Carrie in New York City.
Original Sex and the City costume designer Patricia Field came aboard to dress Cattrall for the cameo, and it was also revealed that her appearance will not be a continuation of her character in the series moving forward.
The report also revealed that HBO’s Casey Bloys personally called Cattrall and asked her to return, which she ultimately agreed to.
Return: In a development that hardly anyone saw coming, Variety reported that Cattrall filmed a secret cameo in late March, and wasn’t seen by any of her former cast-mates on set
Opening up: Just days after the news broke, Cattrall appeared on The View, where she opened up about her return
June 2023 – Cattrall Confirms Her And Just Like That Cameo on The View… Revealing that Patricia Field Had to Be Involved
Just days after the news broke, Cattrall appeared on The View, where she opened up about her return.
‘It’s very interesting to get a call from the head of HBO saying, ‘What can we do?’ And I went, ‘Hmm… Let me get creative,’” Cattrall said.
‘One of those things was to get Pat Field back because I just thought that if I’m going to come back I gotta come back with that Samantha style, I gotta push it, and we did,’ Cattrall said.
And Just Like That co-stars Kristin Davis and Evan Handler also confirmed the cameo in recent interviews.
