Sydney Sweeney Shuts Down ‘Euphoria’ Backlash With 3 Brutal Words
Sydney Sweeney spoke out just before the final episode of Euphoria aired, sending a short but direct message to her critics. The actress, who plays Cassie Howard on the HBO series, shared her thoughts on Instagram on Sunday, the same day the series finale was released.
Sweeney posted a group of photos showing moments from her time on the show. The images included different looks her character wore across the seasons, including her wedding dress from season 3 and other bold costumes that became widely discussed online. Along with the photos, she kept her caption very simple.
“It’s called… acting,” she wrote.
The post came at a time when Sweeney has been facing public criticism from different directions. She was recently under scrutiny after an advertising campaign with American Eagle sparked controversy online. Some critics accused the campaign of sending the wrong message, which led to heated debate on social media.
At the same time, Euphoria itself has also been heavily discussed during its third and final season. The show, created by Sam Levinson, has followed the lives of a group of teens dealing with addiction, relationships, trauma, and identity. Sweeney’s character Cassie has been one of the most talked-about roles in the series because of her intense and often controversial storylines.
One of the biggest talking points this season was Cassie’s involvement in storylines that touched on sex work and online content creation. In the show, Cassie even dresses in unusual outfits as part of a plot where she explores making adult content. One of those scenes included her wearing a dog costume, which triggered backlash from some viewers and people in the adult content industry.
Speaking to media outlets, sex workers and creators shared concerns about how the storyline was presented. Celina Reboyras, a sex worker and founder of Doxy magazine, said the portrayal felt unrealistic. She argued that the show often exaggerates or distorts real-life experiences.
“It’s very f—ing bizarre that Sam Levinson decided to have every main character in season 3 of Euphoria either become a sex worker or have a job that’s sex work-adjacent,” she said in an interview with Dazed. She also added that her own experience growing up near a major city was very different from what the show portrays.
Other creators also pointed out issues with accuracy. Sydney Leathers, an OnlyFans creator, told Variety that certain elements in the show do not match real platform rules or real-life conditions. She said some of the content felt exaggerated for drama rather than realism.
“Credit card processors have very strict rules that you have to abide by, and the rules are getting stricter all the time,” she said.
She also added that people in the industry often feel frustrated with Hollywood portrayals.
“Sex workers in general, myself included, tend to be hyper-sensitive about the way Hollywood portrays us because it’s almost never nice,” she said.
Meanwhile, show creator Sam Levinson defended the creative direction of Cassie’s storyline. He said the show uses exaggeration and surreal moments on purpose to reflect emotion and fantasy rather than strict realism.
“What we wanted to always find is the other layer of absurdity that we’re able to tie into it so that we’re not too inside of her fantasy or illusion—the gag is to jump out, to break the wall,” Levinson explained.
Euphoria aired its final episode on Sunday night at 9 p.m. EST, marking the end of the series after three seasons, according to HBO.
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