'Sex and the City' Creator Darren Star Weighs in on How 'And Just Like That' Handled Kim Cattrall's Absence

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Darren Star is giving his take on one of 's most controversial aspects. The creator of , who was not involved in HBO Max's follow-up show, weighed in on how the new show handled Kim Cattrall's absence during an interview with SiriusXM's .Cattrall, who played Samantha Jones on , did not appear on , amid a long-running feud with her co-star, Sarah Jessica Parker, who stars as Carrie Bradshaw on both series.To explain how the foursome of friends — which also includes Charlotte York (Kristin Davis) and Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon) — was down a member in the new series, a falling out between Carrie and Samantha was written into the script.Samantha did make her presence known in , through text messages sent to Carrie, and an off-screen meeting in the show's season 1 finale.«They definitely had a challenge,» Star said of making the new series without Cattrall, «but I love the idea that they kept her alive in a sense and there's always hope.»While Carrie and Samantha may mend things in their fictional world, Cattrall has made it clear that she would not ever return to the role, a decision that Parker supports.«That’s a no,» Cattrall told of if she'd ever consider reprising her role. «It’s powerful to say no.»When ET spoke with Cattrall in May, she shared a message for fans who were disappointed by her decision to never again play Samantha Jones.«I think the character of Samantha was awakened 25 years ago and she will live forever.

She's your best friend, and she's someone who will tell you the truth. Because she's been there and done that,» she said. «I love her so much, but she lives in a time and a place, and I honor that.»While Cattrall won't appear in 's second season, the series' showrunner, Michael Patrick King, has.