Simon Rex’s exit from What I Like About You after season 1 was never officially explained in detail, but the most widely accepted view is that it was a creative and career-direction choice rather than a scandal or dramatic firing.

Quick Scoop: What Happened?

Most evidence points to three overlapping factors:

  • The show’s creative direction shifted to focus more on the dynamic between Amanda Bynes’ and Jennie Garth’s characters, which reduced the narrative need for Simon Rex’s character, Jeff.
  • Around the same time, Simon Rex was pivoting toward film comedy , landing a key role in Scary Movie 3 (released in 2003), which lined up with him leaving the WB sitcom after just one season.
  • His overall career path shows a pattern of short stints on series followed by jumps into other projects (MTV VJ, WB shows, then movies and later music), suggesting he was actively chasing different opportunities rather than settling into one long-term sitcom role.

There is no solid, primary-source quote from Rex saying “this is exactly why I left,” so any answer is partly reconstructed from timing and industry context, not a single official announcement.

Mini Timeline Around His Exit

  • Early 2000s: Rex is already known from MTV and WB series like Felicity and Jack & Jill.
  • 2002: He joins What I Like About You as Jeff in season 1.
  • 2003: He appears in Scary Movie 3 , a much higher-profile comedy film.
  • After season 1: He does not return as a regular on What I Like About You , while his focus moves more toward movies and, later, his Dirt Nasty music persona.

This timing strongly supports the idea that his departure aligned with a move from sitcom supporting roles into broader comedy and music work.

What Fans and Forums Say

Online forum and Reddit-style discussions often float a few theories:

“He was trying to go more mainstream…had been on another show on the same network not long before.”

Common fan takes include:

  • He was never meant to be a long-term lead ; more of an early supporting boyfriend character while the show found its footing.
  • WB teen/young-adult sitcoms often reshuffled casts after season 1 to sharpen focus on a core couple or core roommates, which fits what happened as the series leaned more into Holly/Val and later Vince.
  • Some people speculate his adult-film past or image played a role, but there is no reliable evidence that this was the reason he left this specific show; that aspect mostly comes up in general discussions of his career, not tied directly to his exit.

So fan conversations add color but don’t contradict the main “creative direction + career move” explanation.

Multi-View: Why He Left (Most Likely)

Here’s a quick breakdown of the most plausible angles:

  1. Creative / Writing Reasons
    • Sitcoms often streamline side characters after season 1.
    • Jeff’s arc as Holly’s early boyfriend was easy to phase out once the writers wanted new romantic storylines.
  1. Career Strategy
    • Getting into Scary Movie 3 and later comedy roles offered higher visibility than a supporting WB sitcom role.
 * His career history shows he frequently moves on when other opportunities appear.
  1. Industry Fit
    • WB shows at that time rotated young actors through multiple series; Rex had already done Felicity , Katie Joplin , and Jack & Jill before What I Like About You.
 * That pattern suggests a flexible contract style rather than a locked, multi-season commitment.

None of the credible public sources frame it as a dramatic falling out or major controversy; it reads as a standard TV reshuffle plus an actor seizing a bigger opportunity.

Is There Any “Latest News” About It?

As of the mid‑2020s, when people talk about Simon Rex, the focus is mostly on:

  • His comeback with Red Rocket (2021), which earned him serious critical attention and awards recognition.
  • His earlier MTV and adult-film past getting re-examined in think pieces and video retrospectives, not specifically tied to his WB sitcom exit.

There is no new, definitive tell‑all where he breaks down “why I left What I Like About You ” in precise terms, so the explanation remains a mix of timing, career choices, and show restructuring rather than a single confirmed on-the-record statement.

Bottom Note

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.