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The White Lotus has had fans talking nonstop, especially after the jaw-dropping twists in the latest season. While the show already delivered plenty of drama and surprises, it turns out there was even more left on the cutting room floor—literally. According to series creator Mike White, a major, steamy scene was filmed for the finale but never actually made it to air.
In a recent podcast interview, White revealed behind-the-scenes secrets about the show’s most recent season and its ending. One of the biggest surprises? A sex scene featuring the character Piper Ratliff, played by Sarah Catherine Hook, was shot but ultimately cut from the final edit. In the scene, Piper seduces another character, Zion, portrayed by Nicholas Duvernay.
If you’ve been following the season, you might remember that Piper’s brother, Saxon (played by Patrick Schwarzenegger), made a joke early on about her being a virgin. Fast-forward to the season finale, and we see Piper—after a chaotic night at a monastery—crossing paths with Zion at a restaurant. That’s when she takes a bold step, indicating her coming-of-age moment by losing her virginity.
Mike White explained that the scene didn’t make the final cut mainly because the episode was already running long—clocking in at 90 minutes. Adding the extra 10-minute romantic scene would have extended the finale even further. He also described it as having a romantic comedy tone, which may not have matched the final pacing or mood of the episode.
Interestingly, this unaired scene has sparked interest far beyond typical fan curiosity. According to reports, the adult content site CamSoda has offered HBO a whopping $500,000 to release the scene. On top of that, they’re offering an equal amount to the actors involved if they’re willing to do a live Q&A session—and even more money if they agree to reenact the scene.
Though the scene remains unreleased for now, fans of The White Lotus can still stream the rest of the series on HBO and Max. And with the franchise’s growing popularity (Season 3 already broke records with a 51% jump in viewership over the last finale), it’s safe to say we haven’t seen the last of the surprises.