Erin Moriarty’s Emotional Farewell to The Boys: Season 5: A Heartfelt Goodbye to Starlight
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Erin Moriarty, the beloved actress who plays Starlight in The Boys, left fans teary-eyed with her emotional social media posts after wrapping her scenes for The Boys: Season 5, the final season of Amazon Prime’s hit superhero series.
On July 2, 2025, just hours after filming concluded, Moriarty took to Instagram to share her raw feelings about saying goodbye to her “work family” and the role that defined her career.
This breakdown dives into her heartfelt statements, the context of her emotional farewell, and what it means for fans eagerly awaiting The Boys: Season 5 in 2026.
Key Takeaways:
Erin Moriarty’s Emotional Post: After wrapping The Boys: Season 5 on July 2, 2025, Moriarty posted on Instagram, saying, “Honestly, f*** ‘don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.’ The tears have begun.”
Farewell to Work Family: She wrote, “I said goodbye to most of my work family today and I’ll be ready to smile about it when I’m ready to smile about it. To my Boys fam: love you, c*nts. Forever.”
Cast Support: Co-stars Jack Quaid and Colby Minifie commented with love and support, with Quaid writing, “Love you so much Erin!”
Context of Farewell: Moriarty’s posts followed a tough year, including online harassment and a Graves’ disease diagnosis in May 2025.
The Boys Season 5 Details: The final season, set for a 2026 release, wrapped filming in July 2025, with showrunner Eric Kripke calling it a “gory, epic, moist climax.”
Moriarty’s Raw and Emotional Instagram Post
On July 2, 2025, Erin Moriarty shared a carousel of behind-the-scenes photos from the set of The Boys: Season 5, capturing her final moments as Starlight.
Her caption was raw and unfiltered:
“Honestly, f*** ‘don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.’ The tears have begun. The posts are incoming. I said goodbye to most of my work family today and I’ll be ready to smile about it when I’m ready to smile about it. To my Boys fam: love you, c*nts. Forever.”
This candid message resonated with fans, who flooded the comments with support, and her co-stars, who echoed her emotions. The use of strong language, a nod to the show’s irreverent tone, underscored the depth of her connection to the cast and crew.
A Bittersweet Goodbye to Starlight
Moriarty’s role as Annie January, aka Starlight, has been a cornerstone of The Boys since its 2019 debut. Over five seasons, she portrayed a superhero grappling with corruption, misogyny, and personal growth, earning praise for her nuanced performance.
Her farewell post reflects the weight of leaving a character she’s grown with for over six years. The photos she shared—a teary-eyed selfie, trailer shots, and set moments—offered fans a glimpse into the emotional toll of wrapping The Boys: Season 5. Showrunner Eric Kripke’s own post, shared the same day, echoed this sentiment, noting the set would soon be torn down, marking the end of an era.
Support from The Boys Cast
The The Boys cast has always been tight-knit, and Moriarty’s post drew heartfelt responses from her co-stars. Jack Quaid, who plays Hughie, commented, “Love you so much Erin!” while Colby Minifie, who plays Ashley Barrett, wrote, “I love you Erin!!” These reactions highlight the familial bond formed over years of filming.
Posts on X also amplified the moment, with accounts like @DiscussingFilm and @EW sharing Moriarty’s words, sparking widespread fan reactions. Fans expressed their own grief, with many calling Starlight a “foundational” character for the series.
A Challenging Year for Moriarty
Moriarty’s emotional farewell comes after a difficult 2024, marked by online harassment and health challenges. In January 2024, she faced accusations from Megyn Kelly about plastic surgery, which Moriarty debunked as “horrific allegations” based on a decade-old photo.
The harassment led her to take a break from social media, though she returned in February 2024 to thank fans for their support. In May 2025, she revealed a diagnosis of Graves’ disease, an autoimmune condition that can alter appearance, adding context to the earlier trolling.
Her resilience in the face of these challenges makes her The Boys: Season 5 farewell even more poignant.
What’s Next for The Boys: Season 5?
Filming for The Boys Season 5 wrapped on July 2, 2025, with a planned 2026 release on Prime Video. Kripke has teased an “apocalyptic” finale, with no character guaranteed to survive, raising stakes for Starlight’s arc.
The season will feature returning stars like Karl Urban, Antony Starr, and Jensen Ackles, alongside a Supernatural reunion with Jared Padalecki and Misha Collins. Moriarty’s post didn’t reveal plot details, but her emotional state suggests Starlight’s journey will be intense, possibly tying into the cliffhanger from Season 4 where she took flight to save her friends.
Why Moriarty’s Post Matters
Moriarty’s farewell isn’t just a personal reflection—it’s a cultural moment for The Boys fans. Her vulnerability humanizes the larger-than-life world of the series, reminding viewers of the real people behind the chaos.
The timing of her post, right after wrapping, and its raw tone make it a standout in the sea of celebrity social media. Fans on X called it “heartbreaking” and “relatable,” with @ComplexPop tweeting, “I’M NOT CRYING, YOU’RE CRYING .” As The Boys: Season 5 approaches, her words set the stage for an emotional farewell to the series.
Some Closing Thoughts:
Erin Moriarty’s tearful goodbye to The Boys Season 5 captures the bittersweet end of a groundbreaking series. Her Instagram post, filled with raw emotion and love for her “work family,” resonates with fans who’ve followed Starlight’s journey since 2019.
As we await the final season in 2026, Moriarty’s words remind us of the heart behind the show’s gore and satire.
Stay tuned for more updates on The Boys: Season 5, and let’s honor Moriarty’s legacy as Starlight by celebrating her courage and talent.
