Tragic Details About The Cast Of And Just Like That

The following article contains references to sexual assault, substance misuse, and eating disorders

With a rise in beige, old money aesthetics and quiet luxury, "Sex and the City" may seem like a relic of a bygone era. The much loved series prized itself on maximalist dressing, girlboss culture, and all things camp. So, with the announcement of the show's 2021 reboot, "And Just Like That..." there was initially some concern that the shenanigans of its fabulous four main characters were inharmonious with modern sensibilities, seemingly scrambling for relevance in the TikTok age. And the drama occurring behind the scenes didn't help such backlash.

First, there was the absence of Samantha, a rumored result of Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Cattrall's iconic feud (though Cattrall contends she didn't care for the script, which she said felt like a fourth "SATC" film). Then, there was Mr. Big's fate after Zoe Lister-Jones accused Chris Noth of sexual misconduct. Such claims were corroborated Kristin Davis' former stand-in, Heather Kristin, corroborated such claims, alleging in The Independent that Noth made misogynistic remarks on set. Consequently, Noth, who denied the allegations but admitted to cheating on his wife, was wiped from any future storylines in the series.

Despite these setbacks, "And Just Like That..." proved a success, having been renewed for a third season. All the while, the show's actors — both old and new — have had to overcome their own personal obstacles. Let's look at tragic details about the cast of "And Just Like That..."

In its original run, "Sex and the City" was praised for sensitively dealing with Samantha's breast cancer diagnosis and recovery in Season 6. Away from the cameras, it was Cynthia Nixon, who plays the politically minded Miranda Hobbes in "SATC" and its reboot, who was diagnosed with the disease.

In 2006, two years after the "SATC" finale aired, Nixon had a routine mammogram and was shocked when her doctor called her to reveal she had detected early-stage breast cancer. Because her mom had previously survived breast cancer, Nixon always had a feeling that she, too, would someday be diagnosed with the disease. "I felt scared. ... I thought, 'Oh, I don't want this to be happening,'" she told "Nightline" (via ABC News) after going public with her diagnosis in 2008. "I was very cognizant of, if it's going to happen, this is the best way for it to happen, that it's found so early, and we can just get right on it." The diagnosis was, understandably, a major worry for Nixon's wife, Christine Marinoni, and the couple's young children.

Following a lumpectomy, radiation, and the hormone therapy drug tamoxifen, which she continued to take for years after treatment, Nixon is now cancer-free. As earth-shattering as her diagnosis was, Nixon can reflect on her experience with candor. "I feel that between my experience and my mother's, breast cancer is a little bit like someone who lives next door," she told The New York Times.

Although initially ridiculed for being bald, sweaty, and selfish in the original "Sex and the City" run, Harry Goldenblatt eventually morphed into a more likable and well-rounded character via "And Just Like That..." Loving, attentive, and eager to please, Charlotte's beau now serves as somewhat of an antithesis to Carrie's Mr. Big. Harry's aforementioned baldness — in contrast to his bodily hirsutism — is one of his defining characteristics, but there's a tragic origin story to actor Evan Handler's hair loss.

At 23, Handler was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, an aggressive form of blood cancer with an extremely poor prognosis. He was given six months to live, yet he survived following four years of grueling treatment. "It's miraculous," he told The New York Times. "Only about one in 10 of the people diagnosed with what I have come out okay."

Although he survived against all odds, cancer had a lasting impact on Handler. It resulted in the permanent hairlessness for which he is famed; initially, he wore wigs and clung to the hope of growing hair again but ultimately embraced being bald. He was also told that chemotherapy would leave him infertile; however, he and his wife successfully conceived a daughter in 2007. "I had the odd experience of living life kind of backwards," he told NPR. "In my mid-20s, instead of living my young adulthood, I was reduced to essentially a dying, old man. I escaped that situation and came back to life."

In the absence of the queen of one-liners, aka Samantha, Anthony Marentino is always on hand to deliver iconic, sassy witticisms in "And Just Like That..." For all the exuberance actor Mario Cantone brings to the role, he carries a tragic family history.

From a young age, Cantone was beset with hardship, bullied by classmates who couldn't comprehend his love of theater and injured in a car crash at 16. Three years later, his cousin was killed. Then, when he was 21, his mom died unexpectedly. Though his mother had been diagnosed with terminal cancer, Cantone's father opted to keep her illness a secret from him and his brother, then 13, as a way of protecting them. According to Cantone, his father didn't even tell his mom that she was dying.

A succession of deaths followed. "[My mom's] sister died of a stroke after that, and her sister, my Aunt Josephine, died two years after that," he told the Orlando Sentinel. "And Jo was my favorite. ... So I lost all these women at a very early age. But my mother was the first one, and so many things were unfinished with her." He later lost his father, whom he thanked for accepting his sexuality in the year prior. Loss is central to Cantone's comedic output. In 2004, he debuted his one-man Broadway show, "Laugh Whore," inspired by his tragic yet colorful family.

When "And Just Like That..." debuted, the cast members were subjected to online body shaming and ageism, which arguably wouldn't have happened if the main actors had been men. "Everyone wants to comment, pro or nay or whatever, on our hair and our faces and our this and our that," Kristin Davis told The Times. "The level of intensity of it was a shock." But for Davis, the body shaming began long before she reached middle age.

In an interview with Haute Living, Davis opened up about being incessantly mocked for her looks. "All of the body shaming I've been subjected to for the past 25 years, pretty much until recently, [is the only bad thing about playing Charlotte]," she said. She explained that the media would often compare her body to Sarah Jessica Parker's, noting that Davis — shock of shocks — had visible hips. "[Those magazines] would [write things] like 'Kristin's hips are bigger than her shoulders,' she continued, "and I'm like, 'But they're not!' And then I'm like, 'Well, who cares? What if they are?' But I mean, it's just ongoing."

But it wasn't just Hollywood and the media who shamed her; she was also ridiculed in public; for instance, when a cashier refused to sell her candy due to her supposedly large hips. Though the incident left Davis in tears, she argued that the media was ultimately responsible for the cashier's mindset. Magazines constantly propagated the notion that she needed to lose weight.

Season 1 of "And Just Like That..." saw the introduction of human rights professor Nya Wallace, who befriended then-student Miranda. Nya, played by Karen Pittman, went on to become a series regular in Season 2, navigating love and loss alongside Carrie and her pals. Behind the scenes, Pittman knows all too well about loss.

In 2006, Pittman lost her father unexpectedly. Writing on Facebook in 2019, she reflected on the lasting impact of her grief, revealing that the news of her father's death was one of the worst days of her life. "I began a lifelong dance with grief, mortality — cumbersome emotions," she wrote. "Some days unwieldy and intimidating but other days like that odd sized ups box that you can't get in the door without dragging it and then half kicking it with your foot."

A decade after her father's death, Pittman also lost her mom. In a 2017 interview with The Interval, the actor reflected on how her dual losses had shaped her work, namely her role as a single mom (incidentally also named Nya) in the play "Pipeline." "Part of the grieving process is to reexamine relationships with the person who has died," she explained, "and so this play has been a gift for me in that way because it allows me to explore developing a character with a deep empathetic understanding of what her trajectory is."

During Che's "And Just Like That..." tenure, the show touched upon fatphobia. Namely, Che was told to lose weight in preparation for their television appearance. Back in 2006, Sara Ramírez opened up to Glamour about their own body image struggles. Ramírez's disordered eating manifested at a young age as their mom projected her own body insecurities onto them.

Entering the entertainment industry exacerbated such issues, and the pressure to conform to restrictive ideals worsened. Subsequently, they began taking diet pills. "After six months, my body had had enough," they said. "I could feel myself getting shakier, and I grew more and more scared knowing I was putting my heart in danger." Ramírez stopped taking the pills and was able to address their internalized fatphobia head-on after being cast on "Grey's Anatomy." Although Ramírez gained weight during filming, they were surprised when series creator Shonda Rhimes embraced them with loving arms.

In 2021, Ramírez told Vogue that their relationship with their body had changed for the better. "I find that the more work I do on my inner self and my inner healing, the more it's reflected in how I treat my body, and that ultimately looks like developing a healthy relationship with oneself," they said. "It doesn't really involve guilt or shame. It involves acceptance." Moreover, speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Ramírez revealed that the aforementioned "AJLT" fatphobia plot helped them address their own body issues.

Sadly, a number of "Sex and the City" stars have died throughout the years. Willie Garson's witty and charming Stanford Blatch was a beloved staple of the series' original run, but his appearance on "And Just Like That..." was tragically fleeting.

In September 2021, Garson died of pancreatic cancer at age 57. He had been filming "AJLT" prior to his death, and the series bittersweetly addressed his absence, with Carrie receiving a goodbye letter from Stanford, who had permanently relocated to Tokyo.

For his co-stars, the loss was devastating. Mario Cantone, who played Stanford's husband, told People that he was shocked to learn of Garson's illness. "I had no idea until he told me," Cantone said. "I thought he was kidding. And then he turned his head and I saw his look and I went, and then I sat down next to him. We both cried, and it was horrible." During an appearance on "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert," Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon both broke down in tears while discussing Garson's death. "Even being sick, which we didn't know about in the beginning, he still brought so much joy," Davis reflected. Nixon said she was grateful that the cast got to spend a few final days with Garson as the effects of his terminal illness became more apparent. "But it's hard," a tearful Davis said as Nixon held her hand. "I wish he was here."

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, eating disorders, or may be the victim of sexual assault, contact the relevant resources below:

• The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

• The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

• The National Eating Disorders Association website or contact NEDA's Live Helpline at 1-800-931-2237. You can also receive 24/7 Crisis Support via text (send NEDA to 741-741).