Sex and the City’s most divisive character Che Diaz won’t return to sequel
And just like that, Sara Ramirez has indicated that their polarising character Che Diaz will not be returning for the third season of the Sex And the City sequel.
The actor refers to Che as “the last character I played” in a new statement that also condemns the entertainment industry for allegedly making “blacklists” of actors who show support for Palestinians in the Israel-Hamas war.
They have been speaking out against the war since it started over 100 days ago, as has their co-star – and onscreen ex-partner – Cynthia Nixon, who has played Miranda Hobbes for over 25 years.
“Our industry is so duplicitous,” they wrote in an Instagram post on 16 January. “While they give awards away, casting directors and agents are making blacklists of actors and workers who post anything in support of Palestinians in Gaza to ensure they will not work again.
“While they lift up some of their own clients who have spoken up against this genocide, they are firing and letting others who have smaller platforms go.”
They concluded the post with a swipe at their And Just Like That character: “It’s wild how performative so many in Hollywood are. Even more performative than the last character I played.”
Ramirez joined the Sex and the City franchise as comedian Che when the sequel launched in 2021. They quickly became one of TV’s most criticised characters for being a caricature of someone who is non-binary.
A Guardian review described them as “an amalgam of contradictions … a comic with no jokes but a pilot on Netflix, a celebrity with a huge following but zero friends”. And yet they returned for the second season in 2023.
This isn’t the first time Ramirez has acknowledged the public hatred towards Che. They told The New York Times they are “very aware of the hate that exists online” and explained “we have built a character who is a human being, who is imperfect, who’s complex, who is not here to be liked, who’s not here for anybody’s approval.”
The show’s creator Michael Patrick King confirmed last year that it is coming back for a third season. The last season ended with Che’s character no longer in a relationship with Miranda, but still friends with Miranda and Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker).
The post was shared amid rumours that their character has already been axed. MailOnline reports that it has happened because “Che brought nothing to the show anymore”, but HBO has yet to confirm whether Ramirez has been dropped.
The Guardian has contacted Ramirez’s team and HBO for comment.