Jenna Ortega opens up about her absence on You season 4: I was devastated

The Penn Badgely starrer You saw the release of the first part of season 4 on February 9, with the second half scheduled for March 9. Many fans noted that Jenna Ortega’s character was nowhere to be seen, and the Wednesday actor came forward to clear the air.

Jenna Ortega spoke with Entertainment Tonight during a red-carpet event where she was asked about not being in You season 4. The actress responded by expressing that she was “devastated” after finding out that wouldn't be able to be a part of the show. The star cited scheduling conflicts to be the reason behind her absence. 

“I was so devastated when they reached out because I miss Ellie and I had been wanting to go back to Ellie for such a long time, but I was in Romania shooting Wednesday and I couldn’t travel back and forth. There was just no way that it could have worked out…I tried!”

Ortega also stated that her experience on the show was positive. She said You was “easily one of my favourite sets that [she’s] ever, ever been on.” 

You showrunner Sera Gamble also addressed Jenna's absence and said that she wanted to have space for her character Ellie Alves. However, they later found out that she is featured on Wednesday.

The Addams Family's spin-off Wednesday

Jenna Ortega fronts Wednesday, a spin-off of The Addams Family. The comedy-supernatural series features Ortega as the titular character, who deals with the onset of her psychic abilities while spending time at the Nevermore Academy. Ortega also plays the role of Goody Addams, who is a long-lost ancestor to Wednesday Addams and makes appearances in cryptic visions from the past.