The second season of The Sex Lives of College Girls on HBO Max is the literal definition of laugh out loud funny. It truly seems as though this show could go on for years—longer than college, even—because season 2 takes place during the leads’ first year at Essex College. (I would say “semester,” but they have trimesters on this show.) But what about season 3? Weren’t there a bunch of Max shows that just got canceled? Made for Love, The Time Traveler’s Wife, At Home With Amy Sedaris, and Raised by Wolves are just a few that have been axed recently. Here’s what we do and don’t know about The Sex Lives of College Girls season 3 and whether it's set to return.
Has The Sex Lives of College Girls been renewed for season 3?
While Max has been busy out here getting rid of some of our favorite shows, it looks like one will (thankfully) remain safe. It was revealed on December 14, 2022 that The Sex Lives of College Girls will be back for a third season. So you better get your deposit in because it looks like we’re returning for another semester at Essex.
Who will be in The Sex Lives of College Girls season 3?
Though we initially thought it was safe to assume that the core four—played by Pauline Chalamet, Amrit Kaur, Reneé Rapp, and Alyah Chanelle Scott—would be back, we have some bad news. In July 2023, Deadline reported that Reneé will only appear in a “handful” of season 3 episodes, but (1) will not be a regular and (2) will permanently leave the show after those episodes. The actor took to her Instagram Stories and commented on the news:
In part, Reneé mused, “college girls moved me out to LA and introduced me to some of my favorite people. 2 and a half years later—it's given me y'all and this community. thank u mindy, justin 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 hope she gave y'all a little bit of that too.”
In January 2024, Reneé spoke about her decision to leave the show in an interview with Vanity Fair (which notes that some of her castmates allegedly "questioned her bisexuality"). "The people in my life that I work with now care about me as a person," she said. "And I think that is a difference from things I've experienced in the past."
As for the other cast members, the only hiccup we forsee is Kimberly’s pending enrollment status and financial situation, but she’s going to work that out. Right?? There may also be opportunities for new funny people to come on as guest stars. I, for one, would love to see the return of Leighton’s ex-girlfriend Alicia (Midori Francis) and her brother Nico (Gavin Leatherwood).
When will The Sex Lives of College Girls season 3 come out?
At a special press HBO and Max press event, Chairman & CEO Casey Bloys revealed that the series will return in Spring 2024, although an official release date hasn't been confirmed just yet. So basically, we're going to have to wait until next semester to go back to Essex. HBO also teased that Sex Lives would return in a sizzle reel, which was posted in December 2023.
Meanwhile, Ilia Isorelys Paulino revealed on X (or Twitter for those of us who remember) that filming started up in late February 2024, so things are definitely moving!
How do I live until then?
You can watch Alyah on the Hulu series Reboot. You can stream Reneé’s EP Everything to Everyone. You can binge Mindy Kaling’s Netflix series Never Have I Ever or rewatch The Mindy Project. Follow everyone on social media, especially TikTok. There are plenty of ways to stay immersed in the adjacent world of The Sex Lives of College Girls until we get news (or better yet, the new season).
