Sara Ramirez has been reportedly fired from Max’s And Just Like That..., a spinoff continuation of the hit HBO series Sex and the City. However, the conflicting reasons behind this decision are messy and hard to follow.
For two seasons, the bisexual, nonbinary actor played Che Diaz on And Just Like That... Diaz is a nonbinary comedian who got into a romantic entanglement with Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon). Many LGBTQ+ fans weren’t pleased with how the nonbinary character was portrayed in season 1, but both Max and Ramirez stood by the character as they returned for season 2.
This week, Ramirez has been sharing posts on their Instagram Stories suggesting that they’ve been fired from And Just Like That... due to their pro-Palestine social media posts. Meanwhile, alleged insiders who spoke to the Daily Mail are claiming that Ramirez had already been cut out of the series because the character of Che wasn’t well-received by fans, suggesting that the firing had nothing to do with Ramirez’s pro-Palestine stance.
Generally speaking, though, this situation is even more complicated than that. So let’s break down what’s going on.
Instagram (@therealsararamirez)
All week long, Ramirez has been sharing pro-Palestine messages, photos, and videos on Instagram. But two particular posts from Tuesday, Jan. 16 stood out to Hollywood insiders and fans of And Just Like That... because they suggested that Ramirez might’ve already been fired from the Max show due to their posts about the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
In full, Ramirez wrote:
“Our industry is so duplicitous. While they give awards away, casting directors and agents are making black lists of actors and workers who post anything in support of Palestinians and 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. While they award ‘Igbtq orgs,’ they are silent on those orgs ties to weapons manufacturers who are currently supporting the Israel military as it commits genocide on Palestinian lives that include LGBTQIA2S+ lives.”
They continued: “I get it. Awards are shiny and people need to pay their rent or feel special and powerful. Meanwhile, we are beyond the 100-day mark on this ‘war’ that has been acknowledged by many, including the ICC, as a genocide. It’s wild how performative so many in Hollywood are. Even more performative than the last character I played.”
In a second post, Ramirez expressed gratitude to people in their life who “have helped me, and are still supporting me, in healing and getting free,” as well as “for not exploiting me and discarding me.”
On Wednesday, Jan. 17, the Daily Mail shared a scathing report with the headline: “Sara Ramirez has officially been dropped from And Just Like That after creators decided their divisive character Che Diaz was ‘a waste of airtime’ and ‘annoying’ fans — NOT because of their stance on Palestine.”
The anonymous sources who spoke to the Daily Mail claimed the following:
“Sara was not fired because they support Palestine and the cease fire. Sara was fired because Che brought nothing to the show anymore. They were on the chopping block since last season. After Che split with Miranda, the character really held no value anymore and fans found them annoying. The storyline as a struggling comedian was a waste of airtime and Sara knew it.”
When asked by Out to comment on the Daily Mail report, representatives from Warner Bros. Discovery had no comment. Out has also reached out to Ramirez’s reps but received no response at the time of publication.
Max
On Jul. 13, 2023, The Wrap published an interview with And Just Like That showrunner Michael Patrick King about season 2 episode 5, which showed the character of Che Diaz facing very negative opinions about them within a focus group. King told the publication:
“Season 2 of And Just Like That — in regards to Che — has to start with the reaction to what Season 1 of Che was, which was judging a book by the cover.”
When commenting on the hate that Che Diaz received from certain viewers, the showrunner explained: “I couldn’t understand it because I think Sara Ramirez is a spectacular actor. So I was like, ‘Okay, where’s this coming from? And what do we do with it?’”
In a statement from the same report, Ramirez said, “Michael Patrick King and I had a meeting before season 2 even started, and we both agreed that it would be so exciting and interesting to see Che confront a system like Hollywood. The most authentic version of themselves is not welcomed.”
Similar sentiments were expressed in other interviews with King about And Just Like That season 2 on Vanity Fair (“When you’re doing something, you want people to discuss it. You want it to have people loving it and people having problems with it.”) and on Variety (“What I liked about it is Che became Carrie’s friend again, and I started to hear, ‘I love Che and Carrie!’”).
Max
Even though Che and Miranda ended their relationship in the second season of And Just Like That..., Che was expected to return in season 3.
As King expressed in interviews, Che’s friendship with Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) was seemingly well-received by fans, suggesting that this would be the direction for the character to follow in the third season.
The official press release announcing that And Just Like That... had been picked up for season 3 included Ramirez’s name as one of the cast members from season 2. King wrote in the announcement:
“We are thrilled to spend more time in the Sex and the City universe telling new stories about the lives of these relatable and aspirational characters played by these amazing actors. And Just Like That… here comes season three.”
Altogether, these quotes about Che as a character and Ramirez as an actor in relation to seasons 2 and 3 of And Just Like That... are very different from the allegations shared by anonymous sources to the Daily Mail that claim Ramirez was “on the chopping block since last season.”
And Just Like That has been renewed for a third season on Max.
