‘Orange Is The New Black’ Season 3 Spoilers: Is Vee Dead? Netflix Responds To Lorrain Toussaint Rumors

Take a deep breath, Litchfield inmates, because it was recently revealed Vee, the biggest bully in “Orange is the New Black” history, will not be returning for Season 3 -- annnd exhale. TMZ shook fans to the core when it reported Lorrain Toussaint would be reprising the role of her villainous character on Oct. 28 after she was spotted on the set of the Netflix original series. However, Netflix quickly diffused the rumors when it confirmed to BuzzFeed Vee will be absent from the upcoming installment.

When Season 2 concluded, Vee’s fate was up in the air: Was she dead? Or did she manage to survive getting run over by Miss Rosa (Barbara Rosenblat)? Fans crossed their fingers for the latter. After all, Vee did send everyone’s favorite prison matriarch to the hospital after she struck Red (Kate Mulgrew) over the head with a lock in a sock.

During an interview with BuzzFeed, Toussaint teased the fate of her character through a few twisted theories. “We’re not sure if Vee is dead,” Toussaint said. “She could be dead, she could not be dead. That’s an open-ended question still. Isn’t that a scary proposition? She might need to be dead. I don’t know.”

Originally, the death of Toussaint’s character seemed concrete. But as the filming continued, “she got to be less dead,” Toussaint revealed to Vulture. “I’m telling you, she got less dead as we went along. Maybe she’s stunned. This woman is a survivor. I love that about Vee, actually. The instinct to survive in us as human beings is extraordinary.”

And although Vee won’t physically appear behind bars in the new season of “OITNB,” her presence will certainly be felt as Nicky (Natasha Lyonne) struggles with her sobriety after getting her hands on the drugs Vee left behind. Now that's what you call having a strong presence.

Do you think it’s possible Vee might still be alive? Sound off in the comments section below if you think Toussaint’s character might appear in future seasons of “Orange is the New Black."