Karen Pittman Was Too Booked and Busy to Continue Playing Nya on 'And Just Like That'

Many Sex and the City fans who watch Max's And Just Like That have become accustomed to the new additions to the popular cast's spinoff—well, some far more than others (yes, you, Che Diaz).

One character that stood out during AJLT's first two seasons was Nya Wallace, played by actor Karen Pittman. Viewers first met Nya as Miranda's (Cynthia Nixon) professor.

Soon, Nya and Miranda became friends and roommates as they both navigated divorcing their longtime husbands, Andre (LeRoy McClain) and Steve (David Eigenberg), respectively.

Although she was brought on to support Miranda, Nya's story of finding herself again after a long-term marriage was relatable during Season 2. So, the show's fans were shocked when Karen became another AJLT cast member to exit the series ahead of its third season.

Here's how Karen's talent led to her AJLT departure.

On March 22, 2024, a representative for Max issued a statement about Karen's future on And Just Like That ahead of the show returning to production in May. The statement, obtained by Deadline, confirmed Karen would be leaving the show as Nya and quickly shut down any inklings of drama being responsible for her leaving.

Karen chose to leave And Just Like That after the actor faced a dilemma many of her peers yearned for. Before signing to play Nya, Karen was already a series regular on Apple TV's The Morning Show, starring Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston. Karen seemingly managed both jobs during Seasons 1 and 2 but needed help to do the same when another opportunity called.

On March 8, 2024, Karen confirmed on her Instagram account she had accepted another lead role in Mara Brock Akil's Netflix series, Forever, alongside Wood Harris. While Karen said in her caption that she was "over the moon" to work on the series, it caused "scheduling conflicts" between the role in Forever and her current jobs on AJLT and The Morning Show. When faced with the choice to make changes to her schedule, Karen ultimately chose to part ways with Max.

"It has been a joy to have Karen Pittman play the smart and stunning Professor Nya Wallace on the first two seasons of And Just Like That…,” Max's spokesperson shared with Deadline. “As we have thoroughly enjoyed working with this dynamic actress, so too have others. Due to her commitments to two other streamer series, it has become apparent that filming three shows at once isn’t possible.

The statement continued: "Due to the production realities, we are disappointed to announce that scheduling conflicts will not allow us to continue with this character as part of season 3 of And Just Like That…"

AJLT's team also stated there was no bad blood between them and Karen and that her character, Nya, was written into several Season 3 episodes. The team's rep also stated the network would continue rooting for Karen and her booming career.

"Karen and Nya will be missed, and her Max family and fans will all be cheering her on in her other endeavors," they said.

Karen herself still needs to address her exit on her social media platforms. Her exit as Nya is the second cast change to occur before AJLT's Season 3 return. The first was Sara Ramirez's, who played Carrie's (Sarah Jessica Parker) friend and Miranda's love interest in Seasons 1 and 2. According to Deadline, Sara was let go from the show in Season 3 due to Che's storyline ending after their breakup with Miranda in Season 2.

Despite AJLT's team stating Sara was let go due to a lack in her storyline, many suggested the exit came from the actor's pro-Palestine social media posts. However, Sara seemingly denied their support had anything to do with the departure in a January 2024 Instagram post.

And Just Like That Season 3 will reportedly air in 2025.