Reneé Rapp's latest single, "Leave Me Alone," released July 10, includes lyrics that fans and media speculate allude to her time on HBO's The Sex Lives of College Girls. The track, which precedes her August 1 album BITE ME, features the line: "I took my sex life with me, now the show ain't fucking / Leave me alone, bitch, I wanna have fun." While Rapp has not confirmed the reference, the lyric has drawn attention given her exit from the series during its third season in 2023.
Rapp portrayed Leighton Murray, a character navigating her sexuality, across the show's first three seasons. Her departure coincided with her rising music career and role in Paramount's Mean Girls musical adaptation. In a February 2024 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Rapp reflected on the emotional overlap between her personal journey and her character's storyline. "Filming Leighton's coming-out scene felt deeply personal—I wasn't acting. That was me," she shared, noting the challenges of balancing her identity with her career at the time.
The Sex Lives of College Girls concluded its third season in early 2024 with Rapp's character transferring to MIT, a narrative choice that aligned with her real-life exit. HBO Max declined to comment on the lyric's potential connection to the show, as did Rapp's representatives.
The series, which also starred Amrit Kaur, Pauline Chalamet, and Alyah Chanelle Scott, was canceled shortly after Rapp's departure. Its end marked a turning point for the actress-singer, who has since focused on music. "Leave Me Alone" follows her 2023 debut album Snow Angel, blending pop-rock intensity with candid lyricism about self-discovery and independence.
Rapp's evolving career highlights her shift from acting to music, a transition underscored by her open discussions about mental health and creative fulfillment. As fans dissect her latest work, the song's themes of liberation and moving forward resonate with her public narrative of growth beyond her breakout TV role.