See what showrunner Meaghan Oppenheimer told EW about the &34;tragedy of Stephen.&34; Tell Me Lies season 3 ending explained: Do Stephen and Lucy end up together? See what showrunner Meaghan Oppenheimer told EW about the &34;tragedy of Stephen.&34; By Allison DeGrushe :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/allisondegrusheEWbiophotoe5f8e89253c84b7085a43c502a3051a4.jpg) Allison DeGrushe Allison DeGrushe is a timely SEO writer at . She has been working at since 2025. Her work has previously appeared on Distractify. EW's editorial guidelines February 17, 2026 6:46 p.m.

See what showrunner Meaghan Oppenheimer told EW about the "tragedy of Stephen."

*Tell Me Lies *season 3 ending explained: Do Stephen and Lucy end up together?

See what showrunner Meaghan Oppenheimer told EW about the "tragedy of Stephen."

By Allison DeGrushe

Allison DeGrushe

Allison DeGrushe is a timely SEO writer at **. She has been working at * *since 2025. Her work has previously appeared on Distractify.

EW's editorial guidelines

February 17, 2026 6:46 p.m. ET

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Grace Van Patten as Lucy in 'Tell Me Lies' season 3. Credit:

Disney/Ian Watson

- *Tell Me Lies' *season 3 finale turned out to be the Hulu hit's *series* finale.

- It ends with an explosive monologue at Bree and Evan's wedding that exposes the many secrets driving the drama.

- Showrunner Meaghan Oppenheimer opened up to EW about the "tragedy of Stephen."

It's time to say goodbye to Lucy (Grace Van Patten), Stephen (Jackson White), and the messy, scandal-filled world of *Tell Me Lies*.

Right before the season 3 finale dropped on Hulu, showrunner Meaghan Oppenheimer surprised fans by announcing it would also be the series finale.

"This was always the ending my writing team and I had in mind, and we are insanely proud of it," she wrote on Instagram. "Your incredible response to this season inspired us to explore whether there was another organic way to continue the story, but ultimately we felt it had reached its natural conclusion."

The final stretch of season 3 left viewers with tons of questions: Who actually leaks Lucy's video? Even with Bree (Cat Missal) marrying Evan (Branden Cook), could she and Wrigley (Spencer House) still be endgame? And, of course, do Lucy and Stephen end up together? We break it all down below.

Does Stephen go to Yale?

Jackson White as Stephen in 'Tell Me Lies' season 3.

Disney/Danielle Blancher

The finale begins with a heart-to-heart between Diana and Lucy. Diana admits she's passing on Yale just to avoid Stephen, which Lucy says is unfair. Lucy vents about how he's been making her feel insane since the day they met, and Diana finally confesses she believes Lucy about Stephen's role in Macy's (Lily McInerny) death all those years ago.

Lucy tries to get back at Stephen by crashing his Yale reception and sabotaging his admission by tipping off a staff member about his dangerous behavior. Stephen catches on and cuts her off, but the damage is already done.

The true (and relatable) story behind 'Tell Me Lies' and the real 'Stephen' who inspired its toxic romance

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Later, Stephen gets a call from Yale informing him that his offer has been withdrawn. Yale discovered he had committed "severe online harassment," including sharing pornographic material.

When Stephen asks who reported him, they won't say. The scene then cuts to Wrigley, smirking in a way that indicates he's behind it. It makes sense, seeing as Diana told Pippa (Sonia Mena), who then told Wrigley, about Stephen sending her nudes to her father. **

Who leaked Lucy's confession tape?

Cat Missal as Bree and Grace Van Patten as Lucy in 'Tell Me Lies' season 3.

Disney/Ian Watson

At the wedding reception, it finally comes out: Bree is the one who leaked the tape. Stephen connects the dots after realizing that Bree had always known about Evan cheating on her with Lucy back in college.

Bree initially denies it to Stephen, but his explosive speech at the wedding reception forces her to own up to her actions. When Lucy demands answers, Bree replies, "It was impulsive and insane, and I've regretted it for six years."**

Do Bree and Wrigley end up together?

Cat Missal as Bree and Spencer House as Wrigley in 'Tell Me Lies' season 3.

Disney/Ian Watson

We've all been rooting for "Brigley" all season, but it never really looked like they'd make it… until the finale.

At the wedding reception, Stephen notes the tension between Bree and Wrigley and figures out they've been hooking up. During his speech, he reveals the truth about their affair.

As "Toxic" kicks in (brilliant choice), Evan is left blindsided. He lashes out at Wrigley, calling him a "slimy, f---ing rat." Wrigley doesn't deny it or defend himself. Instead, he shoots Bree a smile from across the room — and she smiles right back.

"I love that little smile between them," Oppenheimer told **. "In my mind, it's unlikely that this group stays friends. I don't think these people are gonna hang out together again. But I do think that that smile shows this moment between Bree and Wrigley of, 'Well, what the f---? We might as well give this a real shot because all of these other excuses have literally blown up in our faces.' They're meant to be together, I think. I want to imagine that they have a happy ending."

What happens at the end of Tell Me Lies?

Grace Van Patten as Lucy and Jackson White as Stephen in 'Tell Me Lies' season 3.

Disney/Ian Watson

After torching the wedding reception with that unhinged speech, Stephen finds Lucy and asks her to leave with him. Bree practically begs Lucy not to, telling her not to make another "completely embarrassing" mistake by getting in a car with the guy who already wrecked her life.

Even so, Lucy trails after him. Stephen slips right back into their old rhythm, insisting that it's "always more fun with you and me." She shuts it down fast, saying this isn't about true love — it's about winning.

"It's like college all over again," Lucy says, adding that he just wants the satisfaction of her picking him over everyone else. And once she does? He'll do what he does best — tear it all apart.

"Lucy, I just blew up my entire life. My engagement, all of my oldest friendships," he says. "If I f--- you over, I don't have anything. Why would I do that?"

Lucy looks at him, says she hates him, and gets in the car with him. Later, after pulling into a gas station. Lucy heads into the convenience store and grabs two coffees for them. When she walks outside, Stephen is gone. Only her bag is left behind, lying on the pavement.

"Of course, he was gonna leave her because he's Stephen," Oppenheimer explained to EW. "And I think the tragedy of Stephen is that he could have been happier if he had put his weapons down and made peace with Lucy because he does love Lucy in his very f---ed up way. But his desire to win and to hurt her more than she's hurt him is stronger. So he would rather hurt himself if it means hurting her. And that's why I don't think he'll ever be happy."

Instead of crying, Lucy bursts into laughter. "I always say that the tone of the show is at its best when it's as if there's an evil God watching the characters and laughing hysterically at all their places. And in that moment, Lucy sort of is in on the joke," Oppenheimer said.

"I like to believe that Lucy goes on from here and actually is able to have a happy life, but I think she needed to have that wake-up call," she added. "And so, for me, that's the moment of, 'Oh my God, what? Look at how dumb I am. Of course he left me.' And almost the ridiculousness of the moment. She has no choice but to laugh."

Where can I watch Tell Me Lies?

All three seasons of *Tell Me Lies *are now streaming on Hulu.

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.***

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Published: February 18, 2026 at 03:38PM on Source: MARIO MAG

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