Sarah Jessica Parker was ‘shocked’ that audiences disliked Che Diaz

Sarah Jessica Parker had no idea that fans disliked a certain divisive And Just Like That character.

The actress behind Carrie Bradshaw says she was “shocked” to learn that some audiences detested Che Diaz, Sara Ramírez’s nonbinary stand-up comedian, who served as a new love interest for Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) on the Sex and the City follow-up series.

“A friend of mine brought it up to me, and it’s like: ‘What are you talking about?'” Parker recalled in a new interview with The Guardian. “And he said: ‘Yeah, there’s all this conversation.'”

Parker explained that she seldom takes note of backlash against her projects. “I’ve been an actor for 50 years, and I’ve almost never paid attention to peripheral chatter,” she said, adding that she had a good time on set with Ramírez. “I loved working with them.”

Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie Bradshaw on ‘And Just Like That’ season 3.

Craig Blankenhorn/Max

Ramírez ultimately left the show after season 2, in which their character and Miranda called it quits, with the actor sharing a statement distancing themself from Che before their departure.

“I am not the fictional characters I have played, nor am I responsible for the things that are written for them to say,” Ramírez wrote on Instagram. “I am a human being, an artist, an actor. And we are living in a world that has become increasingly hostile toward anyone who dares to free themselves from the gender binary, or disrupt the mainstream.”

Before their exit, Ramírez told Entertainment Weekly that they’re “actually nothing like” Che Diaz. “It was absolutely exhausting to bring this person to life,” the actor explained. “I had to stay in a bit of an extroverted mode in order to do that. So the efforts that it took to bring this character forth makes me feel really proud of what I’ve been able to deliver.”

Ramírez also noted that they were happy that Che inspired such extreme feelings in viewers. “I love that people have passionate opinions, that Che struck a nerve,” they said. “I think it’s really interesting to play a person who elicits such strong reactions and who can start much-needed conversations. If the storylines created major watercooler moments after each episode, then we did our job.”

Nixon acknowledged Ramírez’s departure in a different interview with EW last year. “I miss Sara,” the actress said. “I mean, Sara and I are in quite a lot of touch about Palestine and what’s happening. And so we talk quite a bit. And they came to my opening night of my play [The Seven Year Disappear], which was really lovely.”

Cynthia Nixon as Miranda Hobbes and Sara Ramírez as Che Diaz on ‘And Just Like That’ season 2.

Craig Blakenhorn/Max

However, the Gilded Age star noted that her onscreen relationship with Ramírez’s character didn’t have much left to offer the show. “I think for Miranda, Miranda and Che were really pretty done,” Nixon said. “I think that Miranda and Che had kind of run the gamut of what they were going to be to each other.”

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Nixon later told EW that she thinks And Just Like That works best when more of its central characters are free from long-term relationships. 

“I think our show is always at its most quintessential when as many of us as possible are single and dating and failing at it,” the actress said, adding that she was thrilled to bring guest star Rosie O’Donnell into the AJLT fold as a one-night stand for Miranda in season 3.

“Rosie and I have known each other for a long time,” she said. “I was like, ‘Shall I text her?’ And [showrunner Michael Patrick King] was like, ‘Sure!’ And she was wonderfully excited about the prospect, so we had a great time.”