Sarah Jessica Parker Doesn't Want Kim Cattrall to Join 'And Just Like That'

Sarah Jessica Parker has revealed that she wouldn't want Kim Cattrall to join the cast of And Just Like That... following her departure from the franchise.

Cattrall's character, Samantha Jones, was a firm fan favorite in the original Sex and the City TV show, which ran between 1998 and 2004, and led to two spin-off movies. However, she refused to reprise her character in a since-shelved third movie amid reports of a feud with star and executive producer Parker.

In an interview with Variety alongside showrunner Michael Patrick King, Parker was asked whether she would be OK with Cattrall joining the HBO Max reboot, which has explained her character's absence with a move from New York City to London.

"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," Parker said. "I haven't participated in or read articles, although people are inclined to let me know."

King also said that it was unlikely Cattrall would ever be invited to be a part of And Just Like That... "because she's said what she had said."

With Cattrall's sex-positive character remaining a distant part of the plot via occasional text messages, King said that's a way to "respect the legacy" of Jones.

"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.

"There's a very distinct line between Samantha and Kim," Parker went on. "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."

During a TV interview with Piers Morgan back in 2017, Cattrall said that Parker "could have been nicer" in response to her decision not to appear in the third Sex and the City movie, which was ditched after negotiations stalled.

Cattrall also said that she and Sex and the City's other main stars, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon, were "never friends" during the years they worked together.

The actress's remarks were all the more cutting in 2018, when Cattrall lashed out at Parker on Instagram for sharing a message condolence on her page following the death of her brother, Chris Cattrall.

British-born Cattrall shared a post that read: "I don't need your love or support at this tragic time @sarahjessicaparker."

She wrote: "My Mom asked me today 'When will that @sarahjessicaparker, that hypocrite, leave you alone?' Let me make this VERY clear. (If I haven't already) You are not my family. You are not my friend. So I'm writing to tell you one last time to stop exploiting our tragedy in order to restore your 'nice girl' persona."

In a December interview with The Guardian, former Sex and the City star Chris Noth revealed that he found the bad blood between the actresses "sad an uncomfortable."

Noth, whose character John "Mr. Big" Preston died in the premiere episode of And Just Like That..., said: "I have to tell you, I have absolutely no idea what her thinking is, or her emotions. I do know that I'm very close with SJ and [Cattrall's] descriptions of her don't even come close.

"I liked her, I thought she was marvelous in the show and some people move on for their own reasons. I don't know what hers were. I just wish that whole thing had never happened because it was sad and uncomfortable."

He added: "I just don't like to see anyone talking down about SJ because she's a target and people can be nasty. I feel very protective of her and I was not happy about that. That's all I'll say about that."

Shortly after the December debut of And Just Like That..., multiple women stepped forward with sexual assault allegations against Noth. Actress Zoe Lister-Jones also accused the actor of "sexually inappropriate" behavior.

While Noth has denied the allegations, flashback scenes shot for his character were removed from the show. Parker, Nixon and Davis also released a joint statement in which they said that they were standing by Noth's accusers.