Is Jenna Ortega in 'You' season 4?

The 'Wednesday' star is a Netflix staple but is Jenna Ortega in 'You' season 4? Here's what we know about her character, Ellie

Is Jenna Ortega in You season 4? Pictured: Jenna Ortega arrives at The 2022 Met Gala Celebrating "In America: An Anthology of Fashion" at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 02, 2022 in New York City
(Image credit: Kevin Mazur/MG22/Getty)

Is a Wednesday Addams-Joe Goldberg crossover in our future? Is Jenna Ortega in You season 4

Longtime viewers of the Netflix psychological thriller might remember seeing the future star of the Wednesday Addams series and the rebooted Scream movies back in You season 2 as 15-year-old Ellie Alves, an aspiring filmmaker who lives in Joe's apartment building in LA with her older sister Delilah (Carmela Zumbado).

Joe befriended his new neighbors throughout the second season, even protecting Ellie from a creepy comedian Henderson who had sexually assaulted Delilah and intended to do the same to the young teen. 

Though—spoiler alert!—Delilah doesn't make it out of the second season alive (Love Quinn murders her because she considered Delilah a threat to her relationship with Joe), the fate of Ellie is left a bit more mysterious. So, will we see actress Jenna Ortega in You season 4? Here is what we know. 

Jenna Ortega in 'You' season 2

(Image credit: Beth Dubber/Netflix)

Is Jenna Ortega in 'You' season 4? 

Alas no, Jenna Ortega's character Ellie is not featured in the fourth season of You, which premiered its first half on Thursday, February 9—though that doesn't rule her out from returning in the future. 

In fact, originally, there were plans to include Ortega in the season 4 cast, but the rising star's increasingly busy filming schedule got in the way. “We wanted to bring Ellie back and we heard, ‘Oh, Jenna is doing some show,'” You showrunner and co-creator Sera Gamble told IndieWire. “It’s been just such a pleasure to see Jenna this year. We have ideas for Ellie if her schedule allows her to visit us again.”

As for the actress, she previously told Cosmopolitan in 2021 that she'd be down to reprise the role of Ellie in You: "I love that set. The team behind it, the writers are so witty and so funny, and then also just to work with Penn Badgley again. I had such an incredible time there that if they would like to have me back, I’m more than happy to take a few digs at Joe again."

What happened to Ellie in 'You' on Netflix?

The last time we saw Ellie is after Delilah's disappearance in season two when Joe tells her that her older sister is gone. He gives her money to run away from Los Angeles and go start a new life in Florida. 

We do get an update on the character in the third season when Joe mentions that he regularly sends Ellie money, with Joe later receiving a postcard from the teen that reads: "Got the $. Send more in 3 months. - E."

It's unclear if that financial support continues in the fourth season, now that Joe has faked his own death and fled the states, assuming the identity of a literature professor in London. 

So will we see Jenna Ortega and Ellie Alves in You season 4 part 2, which is slated for March 9, or even in You season 5? Stay tuned to find out!

You season 4 part 1 is streaming on Netflix as of Thursday, February 9.

Christina Izzo

Christina Izzo is the Deputy Editor of My Imperfect Life. 


More generally, she is a writer-editor covering food and drink, travel, lifestyle and culture in New York City. She was previously the Features Editor at Rachael Ray In Season and Reveal, as well as the Food & Drink Editor and chief restaurant critic at Time Out New York


When she’s not doing all that, she can probably be found eating cheese somewhere.