Sarah Jessica Parker Reacts to Criticism About Che Diaz on ‘And Just Like That’: “I Was Surprised” by Negative Reactions Toward Character

Che Diaz has officially exited the scene, and not everyone is upset about it. With the start of Season 3 of “And Just Like That” on HBO Max, dedicated fans of “Sex and the City” have observed a significant absence: Sara Ramirez’s character, Che Diaz, the non-binary comedian who was romantically involved with Miranda Hobbes in the first two seasons.

Che became one of the most debated characters in the reboot, triggering articles, online jokes, and passionate discussions. Critics often criticized the character as a clumsy representation of queerness, labeling Che as a “stereotype” and a reflection of the show’s occasional struggles to stay current.

Now, lead actress and executive producer Sarah Jessica Parker is finally acknowledging the controversy and confesses that she was taken aback by the negative reception.

“A friend of mine brought it up to me, and it’s like: ‘What are you talking about?’ And he said: ‘Yeah, there’s all this conversation,’” Parker told The Guardian in a new interview. “I’ve been an actor for 50 years, and I’ve almost never paid attention to peripheral chatter. I loved working with them.”

Parker also reflected on her own character Carrie Bradshaw and the way audiences have responded to her over the years — especially in comparison to beloved TV “bad boys” like Tony Soprano.

“I prefer that to any other description of her, because it allows her to be as male as the men have been. I love The Sopranos so much, and I look at all the times [Tony] was unlawful, and we loved him. Carrie has an affair and everybody falls apart,” she said.

“An antihero, to me, is somebody that’s not behaving in conventional ways, and she hasn’t ever… A lot of people love her too, though!”

Sex and the City ran for six seasons from 1998 to 2004 and spawned two feature films. And Just Like That premiered in 2021 and is currently streaming its third season on HBO Max.