Jackie Chung Explains Why Laurel Didn’t Visit Belly In Paris In TSITP

The finale of The Summer I Turned Pretty left quite a few unanswered questions: What ever happened to Lucinda’s salon? Is Belly’s dad’s heart OK? Most importantly, why did Laurel not visit Belly in Paris? Since the finale episode aired on Sept. 17, fans have been questioning why Belly’s mom never booked a trip to France, and now Jackie Chung (who played Laurel) is weighing in on the debate.

Little reminder: With no warning, Belly flew to Paris after canceling her and Jeremiah’s wedding. By the end of the season, she’d spent about a year in the city. Although her best friend Taylor came to visit for New Year’s, Laurel is noticeably absent from Belly’s Parisian life — despite the fact that they spoke when Belly first arrived, and Laurel seemed (understandably) eager to see her daughter and make sure she’s OK.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, published Sept. 22, Chung gave her perspective on why Laurel chose not to visit Belly. “I imagine they’ve spoken. They’re close enough that Belly’s probably given her updates. If it were up to me, I would have been there,” she said. “But in terms of the story, Belly needed this time to discover who she is and to explore this Parisian version of herself, and really come into her own.”

“I think it was important for her to be on her own without her mom voicing some opinions in her ear,” Chung added.

Throughout Belly’s year in Paris, audiences saw her learn French, move into a new apartment, and have a short-term fling with Benito. Plus, she reconnected with Conrad — finally putting an end to the love triangle by chasing him through the city and onto his train to Brussels.

However, a reunion between Belly and her mom — plus, Belly and Steven — did not materialize in the series finale. When Conrad and Belly eventually returned to Cousins, the beach house was empty. And even in the credits, which revealed photos of Belly and Conrad’s Christmas together in Paris, there were no signs of Belly’s family.

Of course, now that The Summer I Turned Pretty movie is on its way, there’s always a chance that Belly and Laurel reconnect — whether it happens in Paris or Cousins.