Just like Aidan Shaw, his character on Sex and the City, actor John Corbett is a gentleman…with a sense of humor. And Just Like That… star Sarah Jessica Parker recently revealed that he reached out to her after, uh, lying about his role in the reboot.

Back in April 2021, when basically everyone who’d ever appeared on HBO was being asked about their involvement in the buzzy new series, Corbett gave Page Six an exclusive: “I’m going to do the show,” he said, calling it “very exciting” and predicting that he “might be in quite a few” episodes.

Now, if you haven’t watched AJLT, minor spoiler: There’s no Aidan. Natasha comes back. Bitsy Von Muffling comes back. But Aidan Shaw, last seen in the second movie, is not mentioned. As showrunner Michael Patrick King noted, there was already a lot going on for Carrie in the season, so there were never any plans to include Aidan. In other words, it’s not like Corbett thought he was in the show and then got edited out. He was straight up lying. And maybe helping the show keep its plot under wraps with a misdirect? Four-dimensional chess right here.

Now, if you were paying attention at the time, you might have noticed that the very same day that Corbett spoke to Page Six, we also published an interview with the actor. And because we are dogged and industrious journalists, we got the truth from Corbett: “They have not reached out to me, so I feel that ship has probably sailed. No one from their camp has reached out.” (The interview is full of other great SATC tidbits, though, including stories about costumes.)

Yep, he was honest in his trolling. “He actually reached out very kindly, because he’s nothing if not a gentleman, and apologized for doing that as a joke,” Sarah Jessica Parker recently revealed to Andy Cohen, saying she took the fib in stride. “And then I was like, ‘No, no, no, I mean, it’s a free country, first of all, and second of all, I thought it was kind of delightful and fun.’”

I rewatched the last 15 minutes of the episode, and we should have known something was coming because when you first come in at the wedding and the couple kisses, Franklyn says, “That was a kiss.” Did Michael Patrick King give you any sort of instruction to make the kiss like that?

He didn’t say that, but I think it was referencing not just the wedding kiss, but the kiss between Carrie and Peter too, and the lack of chemistry. And so that line was referencing that. I knew that the last kiss between us, the last moment of the show was meant to be the opposite of the kiss with Peter, which you can’t really…I mean, you don’t know if it’s going to really work out, but I did my best.

Did you watch the scene, or is it too hard to watch you making out with Sarah Jessica?

No, I watched it. I like to see how it turned out. But it’s hard to judge. It’s hard to be your own judge. That’s for sure.

It turned out great. Have you thought of what comes next for them? 

I have my own ideas and thoughts, but it’s not up to me. It’s up to the writers. So I’ll be just as interested as anybody else to find out.

What are your thoughts? I need to know. [Laughs.]

Ha! I think I’ll keep them to myself. It could go anywhere. Who knows?

Okay, so switching gears from Franklyn to Ivan, where were you born and raised?

I was born and raised in San Francisco. I started up as a musician. I was playing piano and clarinet and saxophone and playing soccer. My dreams was to play soccer in Europe. But then during my last year in high school, I did a play and a musical and loved it. And then I got to college, and I started doing the shows there. I fell in love with theater and musical theater and became a total musical theater nerd, diving into that world. Then I moved to New York and did that for a long time until I got married and had two kids—two wonderful daughters. After that, we decided it was time to move to L.A. and have a more family-friendly schedule and do more television. 

How old are your daughters?

They are 13 and 10.

Have they watched any of And Just Like That…?

No, no, not yet. Maybe in a few years.

And what does your wife do?

Christina is a writer. She’s been finishing up a novel and also teaches German online because she’s from Germany.

So what did Christina think of your kiss with Carrie Bradshaw?

She’s going to be so mad at me, but she just hates to watch that stuff.

All you have to say is “Honey, it’s job security. This is great.”

Exactly. That’s what I always say, but she still doesn’t like it. Although she was happy it was nothing more risqué. She loves the show too, but she’d prefer if I don’t have to do that stuff.

What is the most romantic thing you’ve ever done for your wife, and what’s the most romantic thing she’s ever done for you?

I’d have to say it’s when we first met. She was visiting New York, doing an internship for three months, and she happened to answer my Craigslist ad for [a roommate]. I was leaving town, so she rented my room. And then I came back, and my [other] roommate was gone. So we hung out for eight or nine days, and then she had to go back to Germany. I didn’t know if I’d ever see her again, but we kept talking. It was right at the beginning of people using Skype, so at least we had that. And then I decided to fly to Germany and convince her to move to New York.

Back up. So she was a roommate that was temporarily living in your place for nine days?

Right. Yes. [Laughs.] Well, she was there for a couple of months, but I was gone. And then I came back a little earlier than planned. And then we hung out until she went back to Germany.

Were you romantic during that time?

Yeah, yeah. Maybe a little bit, eventually, but we were just hanging out and being in New York City. And then at the end of it, she went back. We didn’t know what was going to happen or if I’d ever see her again. I decided to fly to Germany and woo her and get her to move to New York. So she moved at the end of 2006, and then we got married almost a year later, in 2007.

So you guys are going on your 15th wedding anniversary. Congratulations!

Thank you. It’s nice to have a bit of a stability—and I have a home base with a family—when you’re going through a crazy acting career.

Absolutely. And speaking of, who’s the most surprising person you heard from after they saw you in the show?

Oh, that’s a good question. Nobody too surprising. Maybe it’s just some old friends from college.

Finally, what is your ideal day off? 

A nice massage and just hanging out and reading and having my coffee. And I love to go out to a really nice restaurant in the city and enjoy a nice meal with my wife or a good friend.

What’s the most romantic restaurant you like to take Christina to? 

Gramercy Tavern is probably my favorite and a romantic place and just really wonderful food. The people who work there are really nice. Oh, God, what else? I mean, we live in Los Angeles now, so I’m trying to think of what’s another little quiet place. But it’s been so long since we’ve been able to go out.

Would you consider yourself romantic in real life?

I’d have to say yes, I guess. Yeah, I am. I hope my wife thinks so.

For more on And Just Like That… including what worked, what didn’t, and the fashion secrets you never knew, click here.

Following the And Just Like That season finale, Sarah Jessica Parker has opened up about the Kim Cattrall of it all.

In a new interview, Parker laid rumors and speculations that Cattrall may one day appear in the Sex and the City spinoff to rest. This is a pretty big development, considering Cattrall’s disinterest in the reboot seems to stem from her fractured relationship with Parker.

When asked by Variety if she’d be comfortable with Cattrall making a return, she responded, “I don’t think I would, because I think there’s just too much public history of feelings on her part that she’s shared. I haven’t participated in or read articles, although people are inclined to let me know.”

Parker also shared that she and showrunner Michael Patrick King “didn’t go to Kim” to discuss the series. “We didn’t go to Kim for this, you know,” Parker said. “After we didn’t do the movie and the studio couldn’t meet what she wanted to do, we have to hear her and listen to her and what was important to her. It didn’t fit into what was important or needed for us.”

She continued, “There’s a very distinct line between Samantha and Kim. Samantha’s not gone. Samantha’s present, and I think was handled with such respect and elegance. She wasn’t villainized. She was a human being who had feelings about a relationship, so I think we found a way to address it which was necessary and important for people that loved her.”

Years before news of the television revival was released, Cattrall responded to questions about participating in the rumored Sex and the City 3. “Never. It’s a no from me,” she told the Daily Mail in 2017. She then hinted that her experience on SATC wasn’t pleasant, explaining, “You learn lessons in life, and my lesson is to do work with good people and try and make it fun.”

In that same interview, she spoke specifically about Parker, saying, “This is really where I take to task the people from Sex and the City, and specifically Sarah Jessica Parker. In that, I think she could have been nicer.” Later in the interview, she added, “I don’t know what her issue is, I never have.”

For her part, Parker kept her responses to their “feud” relatively diplomatic. In 2018, Parker described Cattrall’s interview as “very upsetting” and “not the way I recall our experience.”

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Things came to a head that same year when Cattrall’s younger brother passed away. Parker sent her condolences via Instagram, writing, “Dearest Kim, my love and condolences to you and yours and Godspeed to your beloved brother. Xx.” She told Entertainment Tonight of her reason for reaching out to Cattrall, “If somebody in your life, whether you’re in touch with them or not, [is] suffering for any reason, it’s involuntary that you want to convey condolences or sadness or just let someone know you’re thinking about them.”

You officially have Cynthia Nixon to thank for Miranda Hobbes’s relationship with Che Diaz (Sara Ramirez) in the Sex and the City reboot, And Just Like That…. 

During the behind-the-scenes documentary about the franchise’s latest chapter, which dropped on HBO Max on February 3, Nixon revealed that her character initially was going to explore her sexuality with a completely different new character, Professor Nya Wallace (Karen Pittman), but she convinced showrunner Michael Patrick King to try something else.

“Originally, when Michael was trying to think about what would happen in our season, he talked about Nya, Miranda’s professor being the romantic relationship,” she said, per the Daily Mail. However, Nixon didn’t find that dynamic intriguing. “Nya was a straight character and Miranda’s a straight character, and I was like, ‘Well, that doesn’t sound very sexy at all.’”

She continued, “Two women who’ve gotten to this age and who are now just fumbling around. That doesn’t seem great. And I was like, ‘Why couldn’t [Miranda’s love interest] be this butch person you’re talking about having for Carrie?’”

And just like that, the season’s most controversial ship was born between Miranda and the nonbinary podcast host and comedian that was written specifically for Ramirez. Whether or not fans are happy that the affair led to the end of Miranda’s marriage to Steve Brady (David Eigenberg) is a whole other conversation.

“Miranda is so overwhelmed by how attracted she is to Che and how off-kilter that Che has thrown her that she becomes Charlotte and starts doing The Rules,” Cynthia Nixon said during an appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show. “I think some people are not loving seeing these characters maybe off-kilter, but I love that.”

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For their part, Ramirez is trying to stay out of it. “I don’t recognize myself in Che,” Ramírez told The New York Times in a recent interview. “I’m very aware of the hate that exists online, but I have to protect my own mental health and my own artistry. And that’s way more important to me because I’m a real human being.”

The iconic Versace dress almost became a bedspread. Carrie wore a hidden tutu to Big’s funeral. And six identical outfits were purchased for the vomit scene.

And Just Like That…, the new Sex and the City series from HBO Max, has fans defending Steve and ogling Manhattan real estate like it’s 1999 all over again. And perhaps more important than the sex, the city, or the celebrity is the style. Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) and Charlotte (Kristin Davis) are older and wealthier. Their closets are bigger, and their hips more brittle. What would the gals wear 18 years after the original series’ final episode? Nancy Pelosi-esque monochrome coats? Tie-dyed sweat suits? Eileen Fisher?

“Coming out of the pandemic and quarantine, I really didn’t want to see Charlotte drop off the kids at school in athleisure,” Molly Rogers, the costume designer for the series along with Danny Santiago, told Glamour. “The content of the show is very real. They’re dealing with marriages and deaths. I wanted the clothes to be as uplifting—give people eye candy like the original show always did.” Rogers laughs. “That incensed some people!”

Rogers could easily be a beloved character on And Just Like That. She worked on Sex and the City since the original series’ early days alongside original costume designer Patricia Field, who Rogers also joined on The Devil Wears Prada and Ugly Betty. Describing the AJLT costume department, Rogers told Glamour, “We had two things: Ice cream and vodka.” A scene where Nixon’s outfit matched a tablecloth drove her “cuckoo-nuts.” And when AJLT showrunner Michael Patrick King nixed her idea for Carrie to wear a hat in the finale episode, Rogers wrote him a poem that begins, “Where is his body? They ask me.” (She jokes that she’s going to get revenge with a hat line called, “And Just Like Hat.”)

For Glamour, Rogers broke down ten of her favorite fashion looks from the series. The vintage gems, the Net-A-Porter finds, the custom Fendi, and a shoe that Sarah Jessica Parker nicknamed “Phyllis.” Read on for what Rogers calls, in a whisper, “Hat drama.”

Carrie’s funeral outfit

“Seema is a great stand-in for Samantha, and I would love to see her more fleshed out in season two.” —B.C.

“Seema is great, and I hope we see more of her next season! I get the sense she is more of a Samantha-like ‘replacement,’ and I’m here for it. I wish we saw more of her this season!” —C.B.

“Seema is bold and confident and sexy—basically Samantha—but also very honest and vulnerable when it comes to the realities of being single and never married in your 50s. If there’s a season two, I hope we get to delve into her world more because she’s one of the best characters to come along in a long time.” —J.R.

Real estate

“This isn’t Selling Sunset! There are too many apartments on this show.” —N.P. 

“Carrie buying a new apartment about once an episode had me losing my mind. I know that this show is a fantasy, but watching this woman grumpily purchase homes the size of Grand Central Station had me googling ‘How to join Democratic Socialism.’” —J.S. 

Body diversity

“As a style lover well over the typical sample size, I was hopeful we would have a fashionable plus-size character who uses her clothing as a means to be as flamboyant and vibrant as the other women on the show. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. I’m really hoping the writers introduce a wonderful plus-size character in the next season, but as in most mainstream media, I’m doubtful plus-size representation will be celebrated on the show.” —A.E.

Steve

“Everything Steve says about marriage is so heartbreakingly true, and let’s not be afraid to talk about it. Marriage is boring. You get up, you go to work, you come back to the same person, you talk about your kids, you eat shit in front of a TV show, but you have intimacy. That’s all he wants. He doesn’t need to meet anyone else. And that doesn’t make him pitiable—it’s what a lot of what people want. He’s like the truth teller of the hard parts of life in the show, and I love him for it.” —N.P.

“I am truly heartbroken for Steve, but I do think their splitting feels real in the sense that so many couples are divorcing post-lockdown. Do I wish it was more amicable and Steve wasn’t so heartbroken and surprised by it? Definitely.” —C.B.

Parenting

“It was cringe-worthy at first when Charlotte couldn’t accept that Rock (at the time, going by Rose) didn’t want to wear a dress. But as time wore on, Charlotte came to understand that Rock was nonbinary and their new name wasn’t a request; it was reality. Watching Charlotte—and Harry—learn how to grow as parents, while admitting that it’s still a difficult adjustment, was the show at its finest.” —J.R.  

“I was very moved by this storyline! I mean…I wish the writers hadn’t given so much unchallenged screen time to characters comparing a child who identifies as nonbinary to a child who identifies as a dog. But! By the time we arrived at Charlotte and Harry throwing their child a supportive, nonbinary they-mitzvah (which synagogues are actually calling ‘B-mitzvahs’ these days!), I was cheering. Every show should have a trans woman rabbi played by the spectacular Hari Nef emerge from a bathroom stall to dole out unsolicited life advice.” —J.S.  

Final thoughts

“What made the O.G. show so good is that each episode had a theme that tied each woman’s plot line together. It often feels like we are in three (or four or five depending on side characters) different shows. But I love anytime Carrie’s old clothes come out to play, and Hot Fellas Bread is the funniest thing I’ve ever heard.” —B.C.

“I’m still curious about Aidan’s return. I would love to see if him and Carrie reconnect for the 100th time, because I love nostalgia.” —C.B.

“Okay, so And Just Like That… wasn’t perfect. And it was fun to criticize the parts that didn’t work. But overall I looked forward to watching it every week. It brought me joy and entertainment, and frankly, that’s all I can ask for. So maybe we can all stop bashing it next season (if there is one) and admit that we actually are having a good time again with some familiar faces and new ones.” —J.R.

And Just Like That may be gearing up for reconciliation between Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) and Samantha Jones (Kim Cattrall)…at least if they get a second season. Warning, minor spoilers for the And Just Like That finale, ahead. 

Though Samantha has yet to physically appear in the Sex and the City reboot—Cattrall was not interested in reprising her role for reasons you can read about here—the fan favorite’s absence was explained by a falling out between herself and Carrie. Basically, Samantha ended their twenty-year friendship and moved to London when Carrie decided she didn’t need a publicist anymore? (Make it make sense.)

Anyway, at first it’s established that Samantha is not answering texts from Carrie, Charlotte (Kristin Davis), or Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) until And Just Like That episode 5. In the episode, Carrie records her podcast while under the influence of pain medication and drops Samantha’s name. Feeling the need to warn her old friend, they share the following text exchange:

Carrie: “Hi. Long story short I wanted to let you know, I mentioned that you pulled out my diaphragm on a podcast.”

Samantha: “One of my finest hours.” 

Carrie: “Hope that’s okay.”

Samantha: “Of course. I love that your vagina is getting air time.”

Carrie: “I miss you.” 

Though Carrie was left on read, this was not their final interaction of the series. In the season finale, which dropped on HBO Max on February 3, they share an even deeper moment over text. After sharing a kiss with a man for the first time since losing Big (Chris Noth), Carrie seeks out her friend once again. Here’s the exchange:

Carrie: “I kissed a man.”

Samantha: “The first of many. How was it?”

Carrie: “It wasn’t Big.” 

Samantha: “So, it was small.”

Carrie: “Want to talk?”

Samantha: “Soon.” 

Later in the episode, while Carrie is in Paris, she reaches out to Samantha again.

Carrie: “I’m in Paris, want to meet for a cocktail?”

Samantha: “How’s tomorrow night?”

Carrie: FABULOUS

But how does the cast feel about a potential season two? 

Interestingly, And Just Like That… star Cynthia Nixon has been noncommittal about a second season. “Even though I’m an executive producer and I got to direct an episode, I am not a writer,” Nixon told Entertainment Tonight on January 20. “And so, that is one of the great privileges of being a writer, that it’s not my job to figure it out, thank God.” 

And Just Like That… newcomer Sarita Choudhury, who stars as Carrie’s realtor friend Seema Patel, however, is hopeful about season two. “Just the other day, I was thinking, I wonder. Because there’s a point where they let you know if there is or not and we’re not at that point yet,” she told Entertainment Tonight. “I was thinking, God, I hope there is, And also, I was thinking, you know when you bring in new characters and you just start establishing and everyone’s getting used to all of us having grown up, Carrie’s grown up. I feel like the second [season] would be able to just jump into who they really are as opposed to getting the audience used to seeing what they’re seeing. So I would love a second season, but I really don’t know.”

Per Variety, Sarah Jessica Parker, who plays Carrie Bradshaw, seemed hopeful and enthusiastic about a second season of And Just Like That…., which is great news for the series’ potential return, considering she’s the star. At this point it comes down to scheduling. “Definitely, yeah,” Parker said about doing season two. “Michael and I spoke two weeks ago, and said: ‘Okay, when are we going to talk about this? Because there’s a calendar and you don’t want to let too much time pass. There feels like there’s momentum.” 

Could Kim Cattrall appear in season two?

It’s highly unlikely, despite a major development in the finale where—spoiler—Samantha agrees to get drinks with Carrie via text. Showrunner Michael Patrick King told Variety that no one should get their hopes up for a Samantha Jones return. “The only place I participate in magical thinking is in fiction. You take people at their word, and you’re a smart producer—you don’t back yourself into a corner. Magically thinking, it’s great to have Samantha. I have no realistic expectation of Kim Cattrall ever appearing again,” he said. 

In an interview with Piers Morgan in 2017, Cattrall emphasized her disinterest in returning to the franchise. “Me playing [Samantha], that I can assure you will never happen,” she said. “This isn’t about more money. This is not about more scenes. It’s not about any of those things. This is about a clear decision, an empowered decision in my life to end one chapter and start another. I’m 61. It’s now.”

Return to this post often—we’ll keep you updated as we learn more.

Sara Ramírez knows people aren’t feeling Che Diaz. And if you’ve been watching the Sex and the City revival, And Just Like That…, you might be one of them. Even if you don’t watch the show, you’ve probably heard of Che Diaz, chaos agent, and have some thoughts of your own. 

It feels like years ago now that the biggest conversation surrounding And Just Like That… was a Peloton bike (indirectly) killing Mr. Big. Because once Che Diaz came into the picture and ruffled a beloved marriage within the show’s universe, the character has not exactly received a warm response from fans. Che is certainly the most polarizing character on the series, as the nonbinary podcast host and stand-up comedian gets embroiled in a romance with Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon). Their affair leads to the end of Miranda’s marriage with Steve, a longtime fan favorite. 

In an interview with The New York Times, actor Sara Ramírez, who plays Che, opened up about the negative reception their character has received ahead of the season finale, which dropped on HBO Max on Thursday, February 3. 

“I don’t recognize myself in Che,” Ramírez told the Times. When asked whether they’ve seen the criticism of Che Diaz online, Ramírez said, “I’m very aware of the hate that exists online, but I have to protect my own mental health and my own artistry. And that’s way more important to me because I’m a real human being.”

They continued, “I’m really proud of the representation that we’ve created. 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. They’re here to be themselves.”

Emily in Paris fans have the perfect solution for Samantha Jones’ absence from the  Sex and the City reboot, And Just Like That…. While Kim Cattrall chose not to reprise the role in the revival, they couldn’t help but wonder, would another collab with Darren Star be completely off the table? 

Star, who created the original series, is another person from the SATC universe who chose not to be a part of the new HBO Max series. Instead, he continued working on his popular Netflix show *Emily in Paris—*and he even brought along famed Sex and the City costume designer Patricia Field. Now, fans are hoping he’ll enlist Cattrall for season three. 

Considering Cattrall’s refusal to step back into the high heels of the sex-positive PR agent seems to revolve around the drama between her and Sarah Jessica Parker (more on that here), it doesn’t feel like too much of a stretch. I mean, who would be a better addition to Savoir than Samantha Jones—possibly even as competition for the bubbly Emily Cooper (Lily Collins)? That’s what Vulture’s TV Critic Jen Chaney suggested on Twitter. 

“Current theory: Samantha has supposedly moved overseas, hence her lack of presence in the new SATC TV Series,” she explained. “Then she shows up by total surprise in a crossover episode of EMILY IN PARS. I would watch Samantha try to tolerate Emily, 100 percent.”

In fact, many fans felt the same way. For example:

Chaney is right that And Just Like That… justified Samantha’s absence by explaining that she is living in London. She and Carrie (Parker) fell out when the sex columnist decided she no longer needed Samantha to work as her publicist. 

In And Just Like That… episode 5, Samantha made a minor appearance over text. In the episode, Carrie has hip surgery and records an episode of her podcast while in recovery. While hopped up on pain meds, she drops Samantha’s full name when telling the story about the time her best friend helped her remove a diaphragm from her vagina (see Sex and the City season two). 

When Charlotte (Kristin Davis) suggests Carrie should give Samantha a heads up, she texts, “Hi. Long story short I wanted to let you know, I mentioned that you pulled out my diaphragm on a podcast.”

Samantha replied, “One of my finest hours.” When Carrie sent another text saying “hope that’s okay,” Samantha responded, “Of course. I love that your vagina is getting air time.”

Unfortunately, when Carrie sends an “I miss you” text, Samantha begins to type, but ultimately leaves Carrie on read. So far there is nothing to suggest she will come back to the states. So, why not Paris? 

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