Renée Rapp Quits Mindy Kaling's 'College Girls' Without Warning, Hires Top-Notch Lawyer: 'There Are a Lot of Egos at Play'
July 10 2023, Published 5:22 p.m. ET
Renée Rapp hired a high-powered lawyer to get her of HBO's The Sex Lives of College Girls, and the series creator Mindy Kaling isn't happy, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Insiders shared that Rapp, 23, sought the help of attorney Bryan Freedman, who is currently working with HBO Max execs "to resolve things," but "there are a lot of egos at play," especially after she announced a music tour without allegedly consulting Kaling.
“Renée wanted to leave the show to tour and they’re currently working out the best creative solution for her departure, but she announced the tour without having clearance from the show,” the source told Page Six on Monday.
The insider shared this isn't how they wanted Rapp's time on the show to end.
“Mindy is a multi-hyphenate and is supportive of people who want to do different things and play to their talents, but she has to figure out what happens to Renée’s character. This is not the way anyone would have wanted [Rapp’s exit] to happen," the source explained.
Another insider confirmed to RadarOnline.com that Rapp — who plays openly gay Leighton Murray on the show — will no longer be a series regular in Season 3. She will appear in a handful of episodes as a recurring character.
A separate insider denied the claims about the behind-the-scenes drama. Rapp's tour is set to take place in September.
RadarOnline.com reached out to HBO Max for comment.
On Monday afternoon, the actress announced her departure but gave Kailing a nod — seemingly trying to put out the fire surrounding rumors of any tension.
“Thank u mindy … and everyone at Max for believing in me. a lot of queer work gets belittled — but playing Leighton has changed my life. i love who i am 10x more than i did before knowing her … i love that b---- more than you know," she wrote on her Instagram Stories.
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Ironically, Rapp, who is bisexual, revealed she hated filming Season 1 of the show.
“The first year doing ‘College Girls’ was terrible. It was terrible,” she said on the Call Her Daddy podcast host. “It sucked so bad, because at the time, I was in a heteronormative relationship.”
“I hated going to work, because I was like, ‘I don’t think I’m like good enough to be here. I don’t think I can be here. I don’t think I can be doing this.’ I was like, ‘Maybe I’m just trying too hard.’ And then I would come home and I would psych myself out, literally."