Who is Barbie Ferreira—the actress behind Euphoria's Kat Hernandez?

If you're a fan of HBO's hit teen show Euphoria, you'll no doubt be familiar with actress Barbie Ferreira who portrayed Kat Hernandez in the first two seasons. Now, however, Barbie has revealed that the series' once-shy, now-fierce Kat will not be returning for Euphoria season 3. Here's everything we know about the actress, including her decision to leave the show.

Ferreira, like her peers Zendaya and Angus Cloud, captivated audiences everywhere with her emotional storylines and epic fashion sense. (Psst: if you want to get a little Euphoria style for yourself, here's how to recreate Maddy’s Euphoria hair looks at home.)

Sadly though after months of speculation about Kat's storylines and rumored disputes with the show's creator Sam Levinson—Barbie has revealed that she will not be returning for the final installment.

So, if you're a fan of Barbie or her beloved Euphoria character—here's everything we know about her, including her reason to leave the show.

Why did Barbie Ferreira leave 'Euphoria'?

It's a sad day for Euphoria fans as Barbie has announced on her Instagram story that she will not be returning for the show's upcoming third season. 

Sharing a fanart image of her character she wrote: "After four years of getting to embody the most special and enigmatic character Kat, I'm having to say a very teary-eyed goodbye.

"I hope many of you could see yourself in her like I did and that she brought you joy to see her journey into the character she is today. I put all my care and love into her and I hope you guys could feel it. Love you, Katherine Hernandez." Brb while we cry...

While this is devastating news for fans, it also may not come as a total surprise. After the release of Euphoria season two, the actress responded to speculation over Kat's minimal storyline and rumored beef with the show's creator Sam Levinson.

Barbie addressed rumors of bad blood between them and claims of a 'toxic' work environment and said: "I've seen so many different things and a lot of it is untrue and some of its kind of like mundane little things. But I really think that the fans are really passionate and I do appreciate that because Euphoria has really impacted so many people.

"Sometimes, things take on a life of their own, and they're not rooted in the truth, but it's OK because I know it's just out of passion and out of curiosity and all that good stuff. And I signed up for it. So, I'll take it. I'll take the good and the bad."

Who is Barbie Ferreira? Everything we know about the former 'Euphoria' star:

Barbie Ferreira is perhaps best known for playing Euphoria's spunky Kat Hernandez in seasons one and two of the hit HBO drama.

She was born in East Harlem and lived in Queens, New York, before settling in Maywood, New Jersey, with her family.

Like her character, Ferreira notes that she underwent a style transformation in her teens when she began modeling for American Apparel. Although her career was blossoming in front of the camera—she went on to pursue campaigns with H&M, Forever 21, Addidas and Aerie, among other popular brands—she had different ideas in mind, according to a tell-all with Allure. “I did it because I wanted to act,” she said. 

Her rise to fame began with a 10-episode Vice series titled How to Behave and a Teen Vogue series called Body Party, which propelled her championing body positivity. In 2016, her un-retouched photos and an interview from an Aerie campaign went viral, earning her a spot on TIME magazine's 30 Most Influential Teens list. 

She played Ella in HBO's Divorce before earning a spot on Euphoria. Now, she's Kat Hernandez, and everyone's anxious to see what her next move will be—Euphoria and beyond. 

Barbie Ferreira age: how old is she?

Ferreira was born on December 14, 1996, making the 25-year-old a Sagittarius. 

Barbie Ferreira height: how tall is she?

Ferreira stands tall at 5 foot 8 inches, not surprising given her background in modeling. 

Who is Barbie Ferreira dating?

Barbie Ferreira has been in a relationship with her girlfriend, musician Elle Puckett, since 2019, with the couple going Instagram official in December of that year. Ferreira discussed their relationship in a 2020 cover story with Cosmopolitan, saying that her new tattoo ("a spiral on my butt") was courtesy of her GF's at-home stick-and-poke skills. 

The actress publicly came out as queer in an interview with Out: "I'm queer. In my private life, it's been going on for a long time. I obviously don't really identify as a straight woman ever in my life, but I feel like now I'm really in my queerness. I'm in LA living my L Word life. Isn't it amazing?"

Barbie Ferreira ethnicity: what is her heritage?

Ferreira is proudly Brazilian, having been raised by her Brazilian mother, aunt and grandmother. She speaks Portuguese and only drinks Brazilian coffee, very strong and with milk, reports Matcha. That foodie fastidiousness is not surprising—her mom's a chef!

"I love being queer. I love being fat. I love being Brazilian. I love being from New York. [All my identities] are what make me Barbie," the actress said in an interview with Them. 

Is Barbie Ferreira related to America Ferreira?

Alas, despite the shared last name and the fact that they're two of our favorite TV leading ladies, Barbie Ferreira and America Ferreira (Ugly Betty, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants) are not related. Though we'd love to see them act together sometime!

Barbie Ferreira and body positivity 

Ferreira is all about embracing her features and destigmatizing the need for perfection, which we learn in a new WhoWhatWear interview.

"I think bigger bodies are not as 'trendy' as they used to be, which is really sad to me. But it's more of a conversation of the fact that we all struggle with self-love, and I don't think any young person has really figured it out yet," she told the outlet. 

"I feel like I had a lot of things come up emotionally because of the pandemic, and putting some of that into this season was therapeutic for me," Ferrerira said. "I hope other people [watching] can also feel the same way and release the pressure of being perfect and happy all the time. Because that just doesn't exist."

Barbie Ferreira Met Gala look

Ferreira took to the Met Gala red carpet in 2021 to show off her considerable fashion chops: she wore a custom Jonathan Simkhai gown that she designed alongside him. Perhaps a clothing venture is on the way in the near future?!