Key The White Lotus star reveals major changes to Greg and Belinda’s final moments

Photograph of Natasha Rothwell | Image via MAX
Photograph of Natasha Rothwell | Image via MAX

Season 3 of The White Lotus left plenty of viewers divided, but few moments were as quietly powerful, or as carefully reworked, as Belinda’s final scene. According to Natasha Rothwell, who plays the spa manager-turned-survivor, the version we saw on screen was quite different from what was originally filmed. Those changes, subtle as they seem, carry major emotional weight.

Speaking to the press, Rothwell opened up about what didn’t make it into the final cut: alternate takes filled with tears, a whispered final line, and a very different emotional tone. In the version that aired, Belinda walks away from a complex situation not with sorrow, but with calm certainty—a choice that changes the entire tone of her farewell.


The White Lotus and its layered storytelling

Created by Mike White and airing on HBO, the show has always been more than just a glossy satire. Each season drops a new group of privileged travelers into a picturesque paradise, and then slowly peels back their facades. Season 3, set in Thailand, followed this same blueprint, but with even higher emotional stakes and a return from one of the show's most grounded characters: Belinda.

Back in Season 1, Belinda worked at a resort in Maui, caught in the gravitational pull of a manipulative guest. In Season 3, she returns under different circumstances, this time traveling for work, accompanied by her son Zion, and better equipped to protect herself from people who see her as a means to an end.

The White Lotus | Image via MAX
The White Lotus | Image via MAX

Revisiting Belinda and Greg in The White Lotus

Belinda’s character has always represented a kind of emotional honesty in the show’s otherwise cynical landscape. Meanwhile, Greg, played by Jon Gries, has been a source of mystery and frustration since his relationship with Tanya. In this season, he returns with shady undertones and a possible link to Tanya’s demise.

Their paths cross in a way that feels both unexpected and thematically rich. Greg offers Belinda money—not out of generosity, but to ensure her silence. Her choice to take the deal is complicated, but Rothwell insists it’s one of agency, not compromise.

The White Lotus | Image via MAX
The White Lotus | Image via MAX

What was changed, and why it matters in The White Lotus

Rothwell revealed that Belinda’s final scene was originally shot with tears and a moment of spiritual reflection. In one version, she whispered,

“There is a God,” as she walked away, a line that, in her view, marked the emotional and spiritual closure of her journey.

But that version never aired.

Instead, the episode shows Belinda composed, even stoic, as she takes Zion’s hand and leaves. That decision, to choose the take without tears, recasts the scene. It’s not a woman breaking down under pressure. It’s a woman moving forward with clarity and intention.

For Rothwell, that shift wasn’t just artistic. It was political. Belinda doesn’t owe a visible struggle to anyone—not Greg, not Pornchai, not even the audience. Her quiet exit, the actress says, is a statement in itself: survival doesn’t always look like suffering.


How fans and critics responded to The White Lotus Season 3

Season 3 was the most-watched yet, pulling in more than 20 million viewers over the course of its run. Critics praised its visual elegance and emotional complexity, though some felt the finale pulled its punches.

As for Belinda’s ending, responses were mixed. Some viewers applauded the character’s resolve, calling it a satisfying arc for someone who had been overlooked in Season 1. Others hoped for more of a romantic or redemptive conclusion, especially regarding her connection to Pornchai.

But Rothwell is clear: Belinda’s strength lies in choosing herself. And that, she says, doesn’t require an apology or a dramatic send-off.

The White Lotus | Image via MAX
The White Lotus | Image via MAX

Belinda’s arc remains one of The White Lotus’s most powerful

Few characters in The White Lotus evolve as organically as Belinda. From a gentle caretaker in Season 1 to a woman making hard decisions for her own well-being, her transformation is subtle but deeply felt. She isn’t flashy. She isn’t confrontational. But by the end of Season 3, she’s something more powerful: free.

The decision to remove the spiritual line and emotional tears wasn’t just an editing choice. It was a reframing of who Belinda is and what she represents. She may not get closure in the way TV usually delivers it, but she gets something rarer: quiet liberation.

Edited by Sezal Srivastava