The news hit like a ton of bricks. One minute we’re watching Leighton Murray finally embrace her chaotic, preppy, math-genius self, and the next, rumors start swirling that she’s done with Essex College. Fans were rightfully spiraling. It's rare for a show to lose its most magnetic lead right as it hits its stride, but that’s exactly what happened when Reneé Rapp announced she was hanging up the headband.
If you’re wondering why did leighton leave sex lives of college girls, you aren't alone. It wasn't just a simple "contract ended" situation. It was a mix of a booming music career, some heavy personal revelations about the toll of acting, and a little bit of behind-the-scenes friction that had the internet detectives working overtime.
The Music Career That Couldn't Wait
Honestly, Reneé Rapp has never been shy about the fact that acting was basically a Trojan horse. She’s said in multiple interviews, including a pretty famous sit-down with Variety, that she used acting to "trick" people into paying attention to her so she could eventually do what she actually wanted: music.
By the time Season 3 was gearing up, her music career wasn't just a "side project" anymore. Her debut album Snow Angel was blowing up. She was booking Jimmy Fallon, selling out tours, and becoming a genuine queer pop icon. You can't really spend 14 hours a day on a TV set in Atlanta (where they film the "Vermont" campus) when you have a 30-date international tour to headline. Something had to give.
The Contract "Drama"
There was some spicy talk in the industry trades about how this all went down. Reports surfaced that Rapp had booked her Snow Hard Feelings tour without getting full clearance from the show’s producers first. This reportedly led to some legal back-and-forth and a bit of "ego" clashing between her team and the studio.
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Eventually, they reached a compromise. Instead of Leighton just vanishing into thin air, Rapp agreed to return for a handful of episodes in Season 3 to wrap up her story. It wasn't the "series regular" status we wanted, but it was better than nothing.
The Mental Health Toll of Playing Leighton
Playing a closeted (and then semi-closeted) queer woman isn't just lines on a page. For Rapp, it was deeply personal. During an emotional episode of the Call Her Daddy podcast, she opened up about how "terrible" the first year of filming was for her.
"I was so freaked out by the idea of my sexuality not being finite... I hated the first year of filming." — Reneé Rapp
At the time, she was in a heteronormative relationship and struggling with her own identity. Seeing her own life mirrored on screen—specifically that heartbreaking scene where Leighton comes out to Kimberly—was cathartic but also incredibly draining. She’s since mentioned that the "anxiety" of the acting profession was a major reason she wanted to step away. Between the pressure of being a "representative" for the queer community and the grueling schedules, she was burnt out.
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How They Actually Wrote Her Out
So, how does a girl like Leighton Murray leave Essex? She doesn't just drop out to join a band (that would be too meta). Instead, the writers leaned into her intellectual elitism and her love life.
In Season 3, Leighton discovers that the advanced math program at Essex is being cut. For a girl who lives for high-level calculus, this is a crisis. Meanwhile, her girlfriend Alicia (played by Midori Francis) takes a job working for the mayor of Boston.
- The Big Move: Leighton decides to transfer to MIT.
- The Logic: It’s a "win" for her. She gets the best math program in the world and stays close to Alicia.
- The Goodbye: The scene under the campus archway where the "core four" say goodbye was apparently just as emotional for the actors as it was for the characters.
Is the Show Different Without Her?
Kinda, yeah. Leighton was the "anchor" of the group's specific brand of humor—that dry, rich-girl wit that balanced out Bela’s chaos and Kimberly’s earnestness. Replacing that energy is tough.
The show has tried to fill the void with new characters like Taylor and Casey, and by giving more screen time to fan favorites like Lila. But let's be real: nobody delivers a devastating insult while wearing a $500 sweater quite like Leighton Murray.
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What’s Next for Reneé Rapp?
If you miss her on your screen, the good news is you can find her everywhere else. She’s fully leaned into the "pop star" life.
- New Music: Her second album Bite Me dropped in 2025.
- Film: She reprised her role as Regina George in the Mean Girls movie musical, which she called her "final acting role" for the foreseeable future.
- Live Shows: She’s basically living on the road now.
The Actionable Takeaway for Fans
If you're mourning the loss of Leighton, the best thing to do is follow the music. Rapp’s lyrics often dive into the same themes of identity and heartbreak that made Leighton so relatable.
While Season 3 feels different, the "transfer" storyline is actually one of the most realistic things the show has done. People leave college. Friends move away. It sucks, but it’s life. If you want to keep up with what Rapp is doing now, check out her latest tour dates or dive into the Snow Angel deluxe tracks—they’re basically the spiritual successor to Leighton’s character arc.