Renée Rapp has reportedly hired a leading Hollywood lawyer to get her off Mindy Kaling’s HBO Max show ‘The Sex Lives of College Girls’.
The 23-year-old singer and actress is set to take the lead in Tina Fey’s big-screen version of ‘Mean Girls’ the musical is said to have recruited attorney Bryan Freedman so she can leave her role as openly gay student Leighton Murray on Mindy’s hit series after she announced a music tour without getting permission from her show boss.
A source told Page Six: “Both sides have been working to resolve things. There are a lot of egos at play.”
An insider also added: “Renée wanted to leave the show to tour and they’re currently working out the best creative solution for her departure, but she announced the tour without having clearance from the show.
“Mindy is a multi-hyphenate and is supportive of people who want to do different things and play to their talents, but she has to figure out what happens to Renée’s character.
“This is not the way anyone would have wanted (the exit) to happen.”
A separate insider insisted there were no ego-driven or other issues between Renée and Mindy, 44, despite the singer telling the ‘Call Her Daddy’ podcast she “hated” filming the first season of ‘The Sex Lives of College Girls’.
Renée’s tour starts in September and takes her through the US to Europe, the UK and Ireland.
She said in a statement posted on her Instagram on Monday (10.07.23): “Thank u Mindy… and everyone at Max for believing in me. A lot of queer work gets belittled – but playing Leighton has changed my life. I love who I am 10x more than I did before knowing her… I love that b**** more than you know.”
A show source added Renée will not be a series regular and is likely to finish shooting her episodes early in the third season of Mindy’s show.
The singer played Queen Bee Regina George in the ‘Mean Girls’ Broadway musical four years ago, and will reprise her role in the upcoming movie.
In April, she told Us Weekly about her hectic scheduled: “I’m trying to find a work/life balance. I don’t (have one) at present, and I probably won’t for a while.
“But I’m trying to be an EGOT (winner), so I’m tired – but it’s all good.”
Mindy also posted to Instagram on Monday: “We love @Reneerapp so much and of course will be so sad to say goodbye Leighton Murray! But we can’t wait to see our friend on tour!!”
Renée’s lawyer represented Megyn Kelly, 52, in her exit from NBC, ensured Gabrielle Union, 50, got a multimillion-dollar settlement from the network after alleging she was subjected to racism on ‘America’s Got Talent’ and has worked with Don Lemon, 57, after he was ousted from CNN.
