And Just Like That…she broke her silence.
By now, it seems like pretty much everyone on the internet has given their two cents on the long-awaited Sex and the City revival.
The highly anticipated reboot — And Just Like That — hit screens last week, but with the noticeable absence of one very important cast member.
Kim Cattrall — who played the beloved Samantha Jones in the original TV show and its two subsequent movies — made the call not to appear in this year’s reboot following a decade-spanning feud with her costars, namely Sarah Jessica Parker.
And in spite of fans’ concerns that her character would be killed off in the new script, viewers were relieved to hear that Samantha hasn’t died, but instead has simply relocated to London after a dispute with her friend, Carrie Bradshaw — who, funnily enough, is played by Sarah Jessica.
So, despite not appearing in the show, Kim wound up being the biggest talking point of the reboot. And it seems that she’s been keeping a close eye on the commentary.
Marking the first time she has addressed her lack of involvement in the new project, Kim sneakily liked several tweets which suggest that she has absolutely no regrets about not returning to the show.
The actor began by liking two seemingly shady comments from fans who hinted that they were boycotting the new spinoff in favor of Kim’s other acting work.
“And just like that…I find myself only wanting to watch anything @KimCattrall is in. This is a Kim appreciation tweet,” one liked tweet read.
And just like that… I find myself only wanting to watch anything @KimCattrall is in. This is a Kim appreciation tweet.
“And just like that…I want to rewatch the 2014 HBO Canada prestige Toronto-set dramedy Sensitive Skin starring Kim Cattrall,” echoed another.
And just like that…I want to rewatch the 2014 HBO Canada prestige Toronto-set dramedy Sensitive Skin starring Kim Cattrall
Kim also gave a subtle nod to a viewer who hinted that she ditched SATC in pursuit of an entirely different career path.
“Kim Cattrall didn’t return to SATC because her scatting career is finally taking off,” one fan joked in reference to a bizarre but fascinating viral video of Kim scatting with her ex-husband.
Kim Cattrall didn’t return to SATC because her scatting career is finally taking off ❤️
But most interestingly of all, Kim also liked a tweet from a fan who applauded her for “making choices that are right for [her],” in light of her decision not to reprise the role.
“@KimCattrall I am such a fan. With the #SATC reboot happening, they keep bringing you up,” the tweet began, making reference to Samantha's various mentions in the new script.
“I applaud you for making choices that are right for you. You are not required to do anything you don’t want to do or that won’t make you happy. Looking forward to you on #QAF happy holidays!” the fan concluded.
@KimCattrall I am such a fan. With the #SATC reboot happening, they keep bringing you up. I applaud you for making choices that are right for you. You are not required to do anything you don’t want to do or that won’t make you happy. Looking forward to you on #QAF happy holidays!
To give a brief explanation: After years of speculation about the offscreen relationships between the central cast members, the feud between Kim and her costars became more evident than ever after the third movie — which had a script and production at the ready — was scrapped amid rumors that Kim wasn’t cooperating.
Hitting back at speculation that she was responsible for holding up production, Kim informed fans that she never had any desire to reprise her role as Samantha in the first place.
Woke 2 a @MailOnline 💩storm! The only 'DEMAND' I ever made was that I didn't want to do a 3rd film....& that was back in 2016
Expanding on her side of the story during an interview with Piers Morgan in 2017, Kim detailed her “empowered” decision to leave SATC in the past.
“This is about a clear decision, an empowered decision in my life, to end one chapter and start another. I'm 61. It's now,” she told Piers at the time.
In the very same interview, Kim shocked fans by revealing that she and her fellow costars were “never friends,” and that the relationships on set were “toxic.”
"Nobody ever picks up the phone and tries to contact you and say, ‘How you doing?' That would have been the way to handle it," she said of her former castmates. "This is, it feels like, a toxic relationship."
A year later in 2018, Sarah Jessica responded to Kim’s statements and revealed that she had been “heartbroken” by her claims.
"Just...heartbroken," she told Andy Cohen on an episode of Watch What Happens Live. "I mean that whole week, you and I spoke about it endlessly because I was just...I don't know I found it really upsetting because that's, you know, that's not the way I recall our experience."
The feud reached its climax just a year later in 2019 when Kim publicly slammed Sarah Jessica in a scathing Instagram post after her former costar offered her condolences following the sudden death of Kim’s brother.
“Your continuous reaching out is a painful reminder of how cruel you really were then and now,” Kim wrote on Instagram. “Let me make this VERY clear. (If I haven’t already) You are not my family. You are not my friend.”
With all that in mind, it goes without saying that — despite their obvious disappointment — fans certainly weren’t surprised to hear that Kim hadn’t signed on for the reboot after it was announced at the start of this year.
And with the feud at the forefront of people’s minds in the lead-up to the launch of AJLT, several of the show’s central cast members went on the record to give their thoughts on the drama.
Chris Noth — who returned to AJLT to reprise his role as Mr. Big — made a statement last week after he defended his onscreen wife in her offscreen dispute.
"I have to tell you, I have absolutely no idea what her thinking is or her emotions," he said of Kim during an interview with the Guardian. "I do know that I'm very close with SJ and [Kim's] descriptions of her don't even come close."
"I liked [Kim], I thought she was marvelous in the show, and some people move on for their own reasons. I don't know what hers were," he continued in reference to her departure. "I just wish that whole thing had never happened because it was sad and uncomfortable."
The actor went on to add that he feels “protective” of Sarah Jessica, and that he was “not happy” about Kim’s claims against her.
"I just don't like to see anyone talking down about SJ because she's a target and people can be nasty,” he said.
In spite of the behind-the-scenes drama, fans of the show are still holding out hope that Kim might have been swayed enough to make an appearance in AJTL.
🚨🚨🚨 WARNING: SPOILERS FOR THE FIRST EPISODE OF AJLT AHEAD. 🚨🚨🚨
In the unlikely event that you haven’t watched the first episodes yet — or that you’ve managed to avoid the spoilers online — Samantha does in fact reach out to Carrie after the death of her husband.
Carrie arrives at the funeral to see a singular floral display had been placed on top of Big’s coffin, unsure as to where the flowers came from, Carrie is handed a card that came with the display to find that they were sent by Samantha.
Samantha’s kind gesture — and the added bonus that her character is still alive — now has fans speculating that the writers are laying the groundwork for a surprise Samantha cameo.
They sure seem to be doing everything they can to set up a surprise cameo from Samantha at the end of the season. #AndJustLikeThat
Swarming to Twitter to compare theories, one fan predicted that the show's writers — who’ve made no secret of the fact that Kim would be welcomed back to the show — are leaving the door open for a potential Samantha spinoff.
@thesarahgorman I’m predicting either a Samantha spinoff or a cameo at the end!!
But in light of Kim’s recent Twitter hints, I think we’d better not hold our breath just yet.
