Fans who walked into After Everything expecting another emotionally charged chapter centered around Tessa and Hardin were left stunned — because for most of the film, Tessa Young is nowhere to be found.
Throughout the After franchise, Tessa has always been one half of the story’s emotional backbone. Her complicated romance with Hardin Scott helped drive the narrative across four previous films. So when the fifth installment arrived and barely featured her, audiences immediately began asking the same question: Where did Tessa go?
Despite the concern, Tessa does appear in After Everything — just not in the way longtime viewers expected. In fact, many noticed that the character only shows up toward the final moments of the film, leaving Hardin’s journey to take center stage for the majority of the runtime.
The biggest reason behind this shift lies in the film’s storytelling approach. Unlike earlier entries that explored the relationship from both sides, After Everything focuses heavily on Hardin’s personal growth and emotional reckoning. The story follows him as he attempts to confront his past mistakes and become someone worthy of earning Tessa back, which naturally pushes her presence into the background for much of the narrative.
Still, that hasn’t stopped speculation from spreading across the fandom. Some believe that behind-the-scenes contract negotiations may have played a role in Langford’s reduced screen time, while others suggest she may have wanted to move on from the franchise after completing what was originally planned as a four-film arc. None of these theories have ever been officially confirmed, but they continue to circulate among viewers trying to make sense of the surprising change.
Adding fuel to the conversation is the belief that several of Tessa’s scenes were created using footage filmed during earlier productions — a rumor that intensified after the film’s trailer appeared to rely on recycled material from After Ever Happy.
Ultimately, while After Everything was intended to wrap up the love story that fans had followed for years, its decision to shift focus toward Hardin’s internal journey resulted in a final chapter that felt very different from what audiences were used to. Whether it was a creative decision or something more complicated behind the scenes, one thing is clear: Tessa’s absence became one of the most talked-about elements of the film’s release.
And for many fans, the ending of Hardin and Tessa’s story simply didn’t feel complete without seeing more of the character who helped define the franchise from the very beginning.