Kim Cattrall and Sarah Jessica Parker feud explained as Sex and the City returns WITHOUT Samantha

Kim Cattrall and Sarah Jessica Parker aren't on the best of terms after working alongside each other for nearly a decade.

In fact, the highly publicised feud between the two actresses has been cited as a reason for Cattrall's absence from the upcoming Sex and the City revival.

Kim Cattrall and Sarah Jessica Parker Kim Cattrall will not be returning for Sex and the City: Just Like that... (Credit: PA)

Kim Cattrall and Sarah Jessica Parker feud explained

While the rift between Cattrall and Parker has been well documented in recent years, the bad blood between the actresses began almost ten years ago.

From salary disputes to allegations of cliquiness, read on for a comprehensive timeline of the feud...

2004: Sex and the City ends

After the end of season six, there was a production delay on the first Sex and the City movie. It was rumoured that salary negotiations were a factor.

Then, at the 2004 Emmys, Cattrall sat far away from her co-stars, in a move that tabloids deemed to be indicative of a rift between the women.

In an interview with Jonathan Ross that same year, Cattrall spoke about some of the long-running tensions on the show. "I felt after six years, it was time for all of us to participate in the financial windfall of Sex and the City," she said. "When they didn’t seem keen on that, I thought it was time to move on.

"Are we the best of friends? No. We’re professional actresses. We have our own separate lives," she reiterated to The Telegraph.

Sarah Jessica Parker and Chris Noth present the 2004 Emmys together (Credit: PA)

2008: Sex and the city, the movie

A Telegraph article published at the time claimed that Cattrall had tried to negotiate a raise after Parker became an executive producer on the show after season two. This reportedly created tension between her and her co-stars.

And in regards to the first movie, Cattrall allegedly "openly refused to participate unless she was paid more."

Parker said that everyone remained friendly, and that Cattrall shouldn't be criticised for asking for more money. "Honestly, we are all friends and I wish I saw more of Kim. She mentioned money and no one should vilify her for it. People made a decision that we had vilified her."

Cattrall then old Marie Claire that she had been experiencing personal difficulties back in 2004 when they were negotiating the film. It "wasn't all about the money," she said, citing her divorce and her father's dementia. "Looking back four years ago to when we were discussing a movie, it was a really tough time for me."

Kim Cattrall and Sarah Jessica Parker on the set of Sex and the City (Credit: PA)

2009: Kim Catrall and Sarah Jessica Parker cease talking

In 2009, a nymag.com article claimed that the two actresses were no longer on speaking terms.

"Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Cattrall are no longer speaking, which is making everyone on the set of the new Sex and the City movie uncomfortable," a source alleged to the publication. "You could cut the tension with a knife."

2016: Cattrall says her time as Samantha Jones is over

Cattrall crushed Sex and the City fans when she said in an interview that she was not looking to reprise the role of Samantha ever agin.

"I feel like I have completely ridden that horse and been completely satiated and satisfied," she told the Daily Record.

"I think the climate changed. To have four women talking about shopping trips and spending $400 on shoes when people are having trouble putting food on the table? If it was going to happen, it would have happened by now. It would be a challenge to do a third instalment. It could be fun though. To say goodbye completely to Samantha would be pretty hard."

Parker also touched on the fact that male actors weren't subject to the same kind of questions that the women in Sex and the City faced.

"It was always so heartbreaking to me that there was this narrative about Kim [Cattrall] and myself because it just didn’t reflect anything that happened on that set," she told Time.

"They just didn’t do it to the Sopranos guys. It was so strange to me and upsetting. I posted something on Kim’s birthday and people were like ‘Oh my God, I didn’t know you liked her!’ What? We were all at liberty to walk away at any time! But nobody asked those questions of shows with men."

Sarah Jessica Parker on the last day of shooting SATC (Credit: PA)

2017: The end of Sex and the City 3

Parker confirmed to Extra that there would be no third instalment of Sex and the City. "It’s not just disappointing to us that we don’t get to tell the story and have that experience, but more so for the audience that has been so vocal in wanting another movie," she explained.

A source told the Daily Mail that Cattrall had held up production on the film as she had wanted her own solo projects financed by Warner Bros in exchange for her participation. But according to the actress, this was not true.

"Woke up to a MailOnline s***storm," Cattrall tweeted. "The only ‘DEMAND’ I ever made was that I didn’t want to do a 3rd film....& that was back in 2016."

Other cast members, including Kristen Davis and Willie Garson, took to social media to express their frustration.

"I wish that we could have made the final chapter, on our own terms, to complete the stories of our characters. It is deeply frustrating not to able to share that chapter," Davis, who played Charlotte York, added.

Kristin Davis on the last shooting day of Sex and the City (Credit: PA)

2017: Kim Cattrall hits out at Sarah Jessica Parker

During her appearance on Piers Morgan's Life Stories, Cattrall doubled down.

"I never asked for any money, I never asked for any projects, to be thought of as some kind of diva is absolutely ridiculous," she asserted. "This isn’t about more money, this is not about more scenes, it’s not about any of those things. This is about a clear decision, an empowered decision in my life to end one chapter and start another. I’m 61. It’s now."

She added that Parker "could have been nicer" about the situation, and that she was never close with the castmembers.

Then, on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, Parker continued to speak about the drama. Saying she was "just heartbroken".

"That whole week…I found it really upsetting,” Parker stated. "That’s not the way I recall our experience. So, it’s sad, but…I always think that what ties us together is this singular experience.

"It was a professional experience, but it became personal because it was years and years of our lives. I’m hoping that that sort of eclipses anything that’s been recently spoken. That many years spent doing something so special that people had a connection with is such a privilege."

Kim Cattrall and Sarah Jessica Parker pictured together (Credit: PA)

2018: Kim Cattrall's brother tragically passes away and Sarah Jessica Parker attempts to show support

In February of 2019, Cattrall announced on social media that her brother had tragically passed away. She thanked her friends, fans and Sex and the City colleagues for their support during the trying time.

People reported that Parker commented on the post to express her condolences. She also told Entertainment Weekly: "If somebody in your life, whether you’re in touch with them or not, [is] suffering for any reason, it’s involuntary that you want to convey condolences or sadness or just let someone know you’re thinking about them."

Cattrall then took to Instagram to say that Parker is neither her family nor her friend. She dubbed her "cruel" and a "hypocrite".

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"Let me make this VERY clear. (If I haven’t already) You are not my family. You are not my friend. So I’m writing to tell you one last time to stop exploiting our tragedy in order to restore your ‘nice girl’ persona," she wrote.

Parker addressed the issue in a People cover story. "I never responded to the conversation Kim had with Piers Morgan, where she says things that were really hurtful about me,” she told the publication.

"I couldn’t imagine anyone else playing that part. So there was no fight; it was completely fabricated, because I actually never responded. And I won’t, because she needed to say what she needed to say, and that is her privilege."

2018: Cynthia Nixton announces her political aspirations

After her co-star, Nixon, announced that she was planning to run as a gubernatorial candidate in New York, Cattrall raised eyebrows with her seemingly revealing post.

Parker also reaffirmed to Vulture that there was "no catfight".

"There is no catfight, there never has been a catfight. I’ve never fought with someone publicly in my life, nor would I. And I spent time with all of the women on the set. People need to recall that it wasn’t just two women on the set fighting because that just never happened," the Hocus Pocus actress asserted.

"We are enormously proud of what we got to do and I don’t want someone sharing thoughts publicly, which is Kim’s right to do and that is what it is, but we spent 10, 12 years of our life doing something that I really loved and I feel privileged to be part of and I don’t want this to eclipse it or change its experience for that audience that was so good to us for so long."

An early publicity shot for Sex and the City (Credit: PA)

2019: Kim Cattrall says she felt "bullied"

Kim told the Guardian that she felt "bullied" over her refusal to do a third instalment of the franchise.

"I went past the finish line playing Samantha Jones because I loved Sex and the City. It was a blessing in so many ways but after the second movie, I’d had enough. I couldn’t understand why they wouldn’t just replace me with another actress instead of wasting time bullying. No means no," she said.

She added that she didn't regret speaking out, and that anyone who wants to know more can "google it".

2021: Sex and the City: Just Like that... is announced

It was revealed that Cattrall will not be joining Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon and Kristen Davis for the Sex and the City revival.

While some fans thought that Samantha's character may be recast, Parker appeared to quash these rumours, telling a fan: "We have some new stories to tell. We are excited."

And when another fan wrote "we will miss Kim / Samantha", Parker added, "we will too. We loved her so."