What happened to Stanford on And Just Like That? Details from the HBO Max series, explored

Stanford Blatch was one of the main characters from Sex and the City who returned for the sequel, And Just Like That. The HBO Max comedy drama continued the story of Carrie Bradshaw and her friends as they navigated relationships and friendships in their 50s.

Stanford, played by Willie Garson, was one of Carrie’s best friends, whose sexuality and love life remained a highlight of the original series, as well as the first season of the sequel series. However, his journey in And Just Like That ended in just one season.

This left fans wondering what happened to Stanford. Well, in the series, it was established that Stanford moved to Japan, where he became a Shinto monk. In reality, actor Willie Garson unfortunately passed away in 2021, and hence, had to be written off the show.

Stanford became a Shinto monk in And Just Like That

At the beginning of And Just Like That, it was shown that Stanford was still a close friend of Carrie Bradshaw. Meanwhile, he was happily married to Anthony Marentino. Though he was one of the original characters who returned for the sequel, his appearance was limited to only three episodes.

It was eventually revealed that he was moving to Japan as a talent manager to assist his client, Ashley, a TikTok star. As he moved to another country, he also decided to leave Anthony and sought a divorce from him.

Stanford then did not appear in the show again and was finally mentioned in And Just Like That Episode 10, The Last Supper Part One: Appetizer. In one scene of the episode, Carrie showed Anthony a picture of Stanford and revealed to him that his husband was not returning, as he had become a Shinto monk in Japan.

After a fallout with Ashley, Stanford left her and walked around Japan. During that time, he found a temple and decided to become a monk. Though Stanford separated from Anthony, he continued his friendship with Carrie and remained in touch with her.

Why Stanford had to be written off And Just Like That

And Just Like That writers came up with the idea of sending Stanford to Japan due to actor Willie Garson’s health issues and his eventual death. The actor was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and could only shoot three episodes of the series before he had to take a rest due to his health concerns.

He passed away on September 21, 2021, three months before the series premiered. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, showrunner Michael Patrick King talked about why the team decided to write off Stanford instead of killing off the character. The showrunner said they wanted to keep the memory of Garson alive while also explaining Stanford’s absence from the story:

“I would say it was a Band-Aid. It was a fast fix. It was like thin ice. We skated over it because we had to, because he wasn't in the show suddenly. We didn't want Stanford to die. We wanted Willie to be alive, as Stanford somewhere in the world.”

As for why they decided to turn him into a Shinto monk, King said he wanted to imagine Garson living in a peaceful place:

“I wanted to somehow tribute Willie and put Stanford some place where it was golden and filled with light because I hope Willie is some place that's golden and filled with light.”

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Before And Just Like That, Garson had played Stanford in the Sex and the City TV series as well as the film series. His other television credits included Supergirl, White Collar, John from Cincinnati, and Ask Harriet.

All three seasons of And Just Like That are streaming on HBO Max.

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