"So many versions of those scenes": Diane Kruger opens up on the devastating ending of Little Disasters

Diane Kruger admits the finale of Little Disasters was less a single moment and more a battlefield of decisions rewritten till the one made it to the cut. The actress spoke to People Magazine about how the show strays away slightly from Sarah Vaughan's 2020 novel.

Talking to the outlet, Kruger revealed that even she was surprised by the turn things took in the finale, as she said,

"That ending changed so many times. There were so many versions of those scenes. That scene happened not at the end. It's interesting to shoot an ending and then, the next day, start at the beginning."

She then went on to praise Jax James, who played her son on the show, as she talked about what it was like to work with him. Kruger had to comfort 9-year-old James and explain the emotional premise of the scene as she revealed,

"It took a lot for that young kid, who obviously had never been an actor, he has no technique — it took a lot for him to feel safe, or that he would feel comfortable with people screaming, people crying. It's difficult for a kid to understand what is happening. I still think it's not easy for kids sometimes to just be comfortable with that and not just freeze up. So that was a very difficult day."

More details about the Little Disasters finale

Little Disasters revolves around Jess, a mother who is spiraling under the stress of being a mother while grappling with the traumatizing belief that she has harmed her own child. She is then reported to social services by her friend, as the decision fractures a decade-long friendship as she fights for her children.

The finale finally reveals who hurt baby Betsy and also who carries the blame. At a school fair, Jess’s son Frankie finally breaks down, revealing that Rob, Mel’s husband, caused the injury and manipulated Frankie into silence. The truth reframes everything that came before. Jess was never the danger she feared she was.

This reveal marks a major departure from the novel, where the finale unravels differently. As Kruger has noted, Little Disasters went through multiple reiterations before settling on this ending. For the series, shifting the blame to Rob sharpens the story’s focus on power, control, and how children absorb trauma meant for adults. Liz’s final call to the police mirrors the first one she made, closing the narrative loop and reinforcing the show’s central idea. Doing the right thing can still leave wreckage behind.

The show ends with Jess' peace as she is able to live with herself with the knowledge of not having hurt her baby.

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Little Disasters is streaming on Paramount+.

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