Last February, HBO announced that Jeremy O. Harris, the playwright behind the groundbreaking Slave Play, would serve as a writer and executive producer on The Vanishing Half, the cable network’s adaptation of Brit Bennett’s best-selling novel about the decades-spanning relationship between two identical twin sisters—both light-skinned and Black—whose paths deviate and converge as they contend with lynching, domestic abuse, and colorism in America. Joining him as EPs were Issa Rae, Aziza Barnes, and Stephanie Allain.
“One of the few highlights of 2020 was the evening I spent on my birthday curled on my couch screaming at Stella Vignes, ‘HOW COULD YOU’ so loudly my neighbor thought something was wrong,” Harris said at the time. “To know that I get the privilege to collaborate with Brit and one of my favorite playwrights Aziza in translating that moment to millions around the world is an honor.”
Harris, who is an active presence on Twitter, had been posting periodic—and enthusiastic—updates from the writers’ room about the show’s progress, though the posts stopped around March of this year.
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The Daily Beast has learned that Harris has departed the highly anticipated show. Two sources maintain that Harris, who has an overall deal with HBO, was let go after having trouble meeting script deadlines—owing, perhaps, to the many other series he’s involved with at the network, including as a supervising producer on Irma Vep and a consultant/co-producer on Euphoria.
HBO confirmed Harris had departed the project in the following statement:
“Jeremy O. Harris was not fired from ‘The Vanishing Half.’ As sometimes occurs as part of the normal development process, we’ve taken a different creative approach, and Jeremy is no longer attached to the project. He is a valued collaborator, and we currently have other projects in development with him.”
Harris additionally served as co-writer of the 2021 film Zola with Janicza Bravo, has popped up in acting parts on HBO Max’s Gossip Girl reboot (playing himself) and Emily in Paris, and his Slave Play received a record 12 Tony Award nominations (the most for a non-musical), though it was robbed of receiving any. Harris’ representatives did not respond to requests for comment for this story.
