Cynthia Nixon defends And Just Like That's Miranda and Steve storyline after backlash

And Just Like That star Cynthia Nixon has defended her beloved character, Miranda Hobbs.

The 55-year-old actress, who has played the Sex And The City favourite since 1998, has backed her character’s treatment of her husband Steve Brady.

In recent episodes of the popular HBO spin-off show, viewers were left aching for loveable Steve after his wife Miranda told him that she wanted a divorce after finding love with non-binary comedian and podcast host Che Diaz.

Miranda and Che had got down and dirty in much-talked about steamy scenes in episode three of And Just Like That, and after things started to get more serious between the pair, Miranda decided to call it a day on her marriage with Steve.

But when Miranda broke the news to the much-loved character, there was a flurry of backlash on social media from devastated viewers who claimed that Miranda had ‘used’ and ’emotionally abused’ her husband after he claimed that he was ‘never enough’ for her.

Following the criticism, actress Cynthia has now defended her character’s reasoning for ending it with Steve.

During and appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, the actress revealed that Steve ‘did deserve better’ but that Miranda deserved her own happiness too.

“I do understand why people are angry. But I have to say that that’s the thing about breakups,” Cynthia said.

“Often times there’s one person that is making the breakup happen and the other person who is reluctant.”

“But I have to say, that person who’s reluctant is pretty miserable too, and they’re just not admitting it.”

Despite her attempt to defend Miranda, fans were still not convinced, and they flocked to Twitter to slam the HBO character.

“I had so many tears for him. Miranda has dragged this man through hell for years,” one fan fumed on Twitter after the episode aired.

“Steve deserves so much better. Miranda is so selfish,” another echoed.

“And just like that I realise, maybe Miranda should have never been with Steve to begin with,” someone else quipped.

Meanwhile, a fourth complained: “There are no excuses for her behaviour! She ruined Steve’s life. Yet again.”

It comes after actress Cynthia, who is married to Christine Marinoni, revealed she almost didn’t sign up to star in And Just Like That.

The 55-year-old actress described the smash-hit show as ‘being occasionally tone deaf’.

In a recent interview with News Corp, published by the Herald Sun, Cynthia recalled she was reluctant to reprise the role again alongside co-stars Sarah Jessica Parker and Kristin Davis.

“The more I talked to Sarah Jessica, [writer-creator] Michael Patrick King, and Kristin, about the things that I couldn’t go back without, a real sea change in terms of the lack of diversity in the original series, they were on board,” Cynthia said.

“I’m very proud of the original series – despite it being occasionally tone deaf on race and gender,” she continued.

Part of the reason we wanted to do the show [was] to go back and [undo] the things that we really got wrong.”

However many fans have accused the show of trying too hard to be “woke” with one tweeting: ”Miranda’s going to have her sexual awakening now.. I mean, is is just me or are they going kinda hard attempting to be ‘woke’?'”

And Just Like That is available to stream on NOW TV.