‘And Just Like That' actor wonders if he's to blame for the show ending: ‘Did I just kill' it?
On Friday, Sarah Jessica Parker and 'And Just Like That' showrunner Michael Patrick King made the shocking announcement that the 'Sex and the City' spinoff would abruptly end after Season 3 concludes on Aug 14.
Two days later, co-star Jonathan Cake spoke out on Instagram — joking that it's all his fault.
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'Wait, did i JUST KILL @justlikethatmax ? Duncan finally has one night of passion with Carrie Bradshaw and the shows over…FOREVER???' he wrote in the caption, next to a photo of his character, Duncan, shirtless in bed.
8 Jonathan Cake as Duncan, in the photo he posted on Instagram.
HBO
8 Jonathan Cake and Sarah Jessica Parker in 'And Just Like That.'
HBO
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Duncan is a new addition to the show in Season 3. He's Carrie's new neighbor who she butted heads with and even texted Samantha (Kim Cattrall) about. But after Carrie struck out on her rekindled romance with Aidan (John Corbett), Duncan became her new love interest.
Joking about his own appearance in the shirtless photo, Cake quipped, 'Was it, judging by this picture, his surprisingly small head? Or something else a little underwhelming? Ah Duncan Donuts, i guess America won't run on Duncan, but it was exquisite pleasure while it lasted.'
He also tagged fellow stars Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis, producer John Melfi, showrunner King and 'the one and only ever' Parker.
'You gave the world SUCH joy for nearly thirty years,' he penned. 'I don't think there's a higher calling for people in our business.'
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8 Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon, and Kristin Davis in 'And Just Like That.'
Photograph by Craig Blankenhorn / HBO Max
He gushed over his co-stars and producers, 'You knocked it out of the park and it's still traveling, traveling, traveling. Thank you for having me on your team for a hot- a very hot- minute. You're all brilliant.'
The original show, which aired for six seasons from 1998 to 2004, followed Bradshaw and her friends Samantha Jones (Cattrall), Miranda Hobbes (Nixon) and Charlotte York (Davis) through dating adventures in New York City.
The series also spawned two movies in 2008 and 2010, and a spinoff prequel, 'The Carrie Diaries,' which aired on The CW from 2013 to 2014.
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'And Just Like That' premiered in 2021 on HBO Max, and follows the ladies through love and life in their 50s – sans Samantha, amid behind the scenes rumors of a feud with Cattrall, which Parker has denied.
8 Jonathan Cake attends Max Original's 'And Just Like That' Season 3 Photo Call at Crane Club on May 21, 2025 in New York City.
WireImage
The 'Sex and the City' spinoff was allegedly not cancelled, however. King insists that he thought this was a good place for the story to end.
'And just like that… the ongoing storytelling of the' Sex And The City' universe is coming to an end,' King wrote in a statement on X, formerly Twitter.
'While I was writing the last episode of 'And Just Like That…' season 3, it became clear to me that this might be a wonderful place to stop,' he continued. 'SJP and I held off announcing the news until now because we didn't want the word 'final' to overshadow the fun of watching the season.'
8 Jonathan Cake and Sarah Jessica Parker in 'And Just Like That.'
HBO
8 Jonathan Cake as Duncan in 'And Just Like That.'
In her own Instagram post on Friday, Parker, 60, wrote about Carrie Bradshaw – who she has played since 'Sex and the City' first premiered in 1998 – that the character 'has dominated my professional heartbeat for 27 years. I think I have loved her most of all.'
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Ratings had been dwindling for the show, with the Season 3 premiere averaging a paltry 429,000 households during the live-plus-three-day viewership window, according to Forbes.
The show has also faced backlash over plot holes, and a hollow attempt to be 'woke.'
This was especially apparent in the fan backlash to Che Diaz (Sara Ramirez), a new character who wasn't in 'Sex and the City,' but was in Seasons 1 and 2 of 'And Just Like That.'
8 Jonathan Cake, Sarah Jessica Parker and John-Corbett in 'And Just Like That.'
HBO MAX
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Che, a queer nonbinary podcaster comedian, had a 'woke moment' button on their podcast, and quickly became dubbed one of the most 'annoying' TV characters.
'Che seems like they are a manifestation of… an irritating Twitter account come to life,' Texas writer Atif Riaz, 32, told The Post after the first season aired.
'Che diaz single-handedly set back non-binary representation 70 years,' one critic seethed.
Another fan on Reddit called Che, 'insufferably woke' and said, 'Parts with Che in them are entirely unwatchable and cringey.'
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Che didn't appear in Season 3, but the damage was done to the public perception of the show.
8 Kristin Davis, Sarah Jessica Parker and Cynthia Nixon on the set of 'And Just Like That.'
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It didn't help that the show wasn't on the same page as the audience, as Parker said she was 'shocked' by the fans' negative reaction to Che.
The show also faced backlash for killing off Carrie's longtime love, Mr. Big, played by Chris Noth, in the very first episode. He suffered a heart attack following a Peloton ride.
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One fan wrote on X, 'Me trying to process that Big died in the first ep of 'Sex and the City' reboot. Can Carrie never be happy or?? We literally went through 6 seasons and 2 films of pain, drama & happy endings now this?! I'mma pretend this show never existed for my own happiness.'
Big's death prompted the brand's stock to drop as it scrambled to recover after sexual assault allegations emerged against Noth just days after the Season 1 premiere.
Sources told Page Six the series was likely cut because — like Bradshaw's clothing budget — its spending habits were too high.
The final episode airs Aug. 14 on HBO Max.
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