How Euphoria became TV’s most toxic drama with nudity scandals, cast feuds and ‘walkouts on set’

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It’s been more than four years since we last saw the drama unfold with the students of East Highland High School.

As a lifestyle enthusiast, I’m thrilled to share that ‘Euphoria’ returns this Sunday for what might be its last season! It’s become a real cultural moment – one of HBO’s biggest hits ever, racking up an impressive 25 Emmy nominations and taking home nine wins. I, like many others, am eagerly anticipating seeing how the story concludes.

The show tackles tough issues like teen addiction, explores questions of identity and sexuality, and honestly portrays mental illness.

But the controversies haven’t only been over what’s happening on screen.

Ever since it first aired in 2019, the show has been full of drama, surprising exits, and controversies.

The Daily Mail revisits past conflicts and disagreements, including reports of on-set walkouts and disputes among cast members.

Sydney Sweeney labelled a ‘MAGA Barbie’

In 2022, Sydney received criticism for posting pictures from her mother’s birthday party that showed guests wearing hats resembling those associated with the “Make America Great Again” movement.

The actress from Euphoria posted photos from a party on Instagram. One photo showed a guest wearing a shirt supporting the “Blue Lives Matter” movement, and another showed someone with a hat that mocked the “Make America Great Again” slogan.

Sydney expressed frustration on X, explaining that what started as a simple celebration of her mother’s 60th birthday had unexpectedly become a political issue, something she hadn’t anticipated.

‘Please stop making assumptions. Much love to everyone ❤️ and Happy Birthday Mom!’ she concluded.

In 2025, she faced another controversy when she appeared in an advertising campaign for American Eagle jeans.

It showed her promoting various denim styles under the tagline ‘great jeans’ (a play on ‘genes’).

The advertisement caused a huge uproar on social media, with many people criticizing it as similar to ‘Nazi propaganda’ because it featured a blonde, blue-eyed model and used the phrase ‘good genes.’

After facing criticism, it was revealed the actress was a registered Republican. This led to strong disapproval from fans on the left, while President Trump playfully said he now liked her commercial.

In an interview in January 2026, Sydney explained that she wasn’t interested in discussing politics, emphasizing that she was there to focus on her art.

Barbie Ferreira’s exit 

In 2022, Barbie revealed she was exiting the show Euphoria and wouldn’t be part of its third season.

Many fans wondered if the actress and model, known for her role as Kat Hernandez in the show’s first two seasons, had quit after a disagreement with the show’s creator, Sam Levinson.

Someone on X criticized Sam, claiming he acted unprofessionally by allegedly editing out scenes with Kat and causing Barbie to leave the set.

Barbie quickly responded to the rumors about her departure from the show during an appearance on The Viall Files podcast.

She said: ‘I never walked off set. There was never anything like that.

That situation was really complicated. I definitely wasn’t involved – you can ask any of the many people who were there regularly. Fan theories can be wild, but they’re usually incorrect.

She added that leaving the show was ‘a mutual decision’.

‘Everyone decided that there was nowhere to go,’ she said.

Honestly, I’m just completely floored by everything! It’s like, how do you even deal with all the craziness? I mean, from what I’ve seen, things are constantly happening in this industry, and you just have to be so strong and make the choices that are right for you, even when it’s incredibly tough. It really seemed like a struggle, you know?

‘I was really young, and it was just tough, obviously.’

Louis Tomlinson did ‘not approve’ of the animated Harry Styles sex scene 

Louis expressed his disapproval of a scene in a TV series depicting a sexual act between himself and his former One Direction bandmate, Harry.

The show features a character named Kat Hernandez who writes a story based on ‘Larry Stylinson,’ a popular fan-created idea about a romantic relationship between Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson.

It featured an animated sequence which showed the singers involved in a sexual act.

Louis shared on X that he hadn’t been contacted by anyone before the scene appeared in the show.

A fan named Hannah (@backtoyoulouis) expressed hope that the show had been approved, reasoning that it must have been to make it to air. She noted Harry seemed to have a good relationship with those involved, but felt Louis wouldn’t be pleased with it.

Louis responded, stating: ‘I can categorically say that I was not contacted nor did I approve it.’ 

Claims of drug glamorisation 

Okay, so I’ve been obsessed with Euphoria, but apparently DARE – yeah, that DARE – actually came out with a statement in 2022 saying they were concerned the show was making drug use look cool and getting things totally wrong about how high school kids actually use drugs. Like, can’t they just let me enjoy my show?! It’s art, okay?! But seriously, they seemed really worried about it ‘glorifying’ things and not being accurate.

The organization was particularly worried about how the show portrayed Rue’s struggle with addiction and her recovery process.

Zendaya addressed the worries in a statement to Entertainment Weekly, explaining that the show isn’t meant to be a lesson in how to live or tell people what choices to make.

Ultimately, the goal of Euphoria—and what we’ve always aimed for with the show—is to make people feel a little less isolated in their struggles and pain.

It can also help them realize they’re not alone in their struggles.

The actress shared that many people contacted her about the show, saying they could relate to the stories on a personal level.

Zendaya and Sydney’s ‘bitter feud’

In November 2025, the Daily Mail reported that Zendaya was avoiding interviews with her co-star to promote the new season of their show.

We also noted that their reluctance to stand close to each other at events stemmed from disagreements in their political beliefs.

An insider told the Daily Mail: ‘It’s no wonder she’s refusing to do it. 

Zendaya is in a tough spot. Simply appearing with Sydney Sweeney, even for a photo, could be seen as Zendaya supporting Sweeney’s controversial opinions about Trump and her unwillingness to address a racist advertisement.

The pair were once close friends, with Sweeney affectionately referring to her co-star as ‘Z’. 

Zendaya and Sydney Sweeney sparked a lot of online discussion after seeming distant from each other at the premiere of their show, Euphoria, last week.

The two stars attended the premiere at the TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX with their fellow cast members, but Zendaya, 27, seemed to avoid interacting with her co-star, who is a supporter of Donald Trump.

Rumors of a conflict between the two have been circulating for a while. It’s been claimed that Sydney showed interest in Tom Holland – who people believe married Zendaya earlier this year – and that their differing political views also contributed to the tension.

A video quickly spread online showing Zendaya warmly talking with Hunter Schafer and seemingly overlooking Sydney, sparking a lot of discussion and upset on social media.

Reports surfaced that Sydney, 28, had engaged with social media posts praising Tom’s appearance. Sources also indicated a long-standing attraction, claiming it was well-known that Sydney had a crush on Tom and often flirted with him on set.

‘Toxic’ work environment

In 2022, The Daily Beast reported on claims of a harmful and negative work atmosphere during the production of the TV show Euphoria.

Several people working on the production, who wished to remain unnamed, shared concerns about excessive work hours, breaks from union guidelines, and on-set injuries.

Jacob Elordi seemed to confirm the rumors when he discussed the New Year’s Eve party in the second season.

He told Thrillist: ‘The thing is, we do it for so long. 

Filming that party went on for over a week, and it felt absolutely draining – like being trapped in a never-ending, unpleasant event. It was a situation you really wanted to escape from as quickly as possible.

Jacob clarified his previous statements in an interview with British GQ, explaining that when he collaborates with Sam, he fully dedicates himself and has complete trust in him, working extremely hard to support him.

You know, I’ve seen a lot of discussion lately about needing to ‘protect’ yourself from working hard on your creative passions. Some say it’s a bad message to send, that you shouldn’t push yourself to the limit for art. Honestly? I disagree. I genuinely enjoy the dedication and effort. For me, it’s not about sacrifice, it’s about passion, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Extras on set reportedly waited over six hours for meal breaks and faced long delays when needing to use the restroom. They also lacked proper seating or comfortable waiting areas between filming takes, according to The Daily Beast.

HBO quickly responded to the allegations with a statement, emphasizing that the safety of everyone working on their shows is their main concern.

It said: ‘The production was in full compliance with all safety guidelines and guild protocols. 

Filming drama series is often complicated, and the need for COVID-19 safety measures makes it even more challenging.

We have ongoing communication with all guilds, including SAG-AFTRA, and no formal requests for information were ever submitted.

Excessive nudity 

Many viewers and critics felt that the first two seasons of Euphoria included too much nudity, often without it being essential to the story.

One particular moment in season one featured a whopping 30 penises. 

Several TV critics and groups, including the Parents Television and Media Council in the US, asked for all scenes featuring nude teenagers to be cut from the show.

The complaint was soon raised within Euphoria’s own ranks.

As a longtime fan, I remember reading that Sydney Sweeney, who plays Cassie, actually spoke with Sam Levinson, the creator of Euphoria, about cutting a topless scene she felt wasn’t really needed. And Alexa Demie, who is amazing as Maddy, shared that doing nude scenes was honestly really difficult for her. It’s good to hear them being open about those experiences.

In the first season, Sydney often appeared without a shirt, but by the second season, she felt it wasn’t always needed.

In a January 2022 interview with The Independent, Cassie remembered times when the script called for her to be shirtless, and she would tell the director, Sam, that she didn’t think it was needed.

He simply said it wasn’t necessary, and I never felt pressured by Sam to include a nude scene in the HBO show. He respected my boundaries and didn’t push the issue when I expressed my discomfort.

Zendaya and Sam Levinson’s ‘strained relationship’

Zendaya and the show’s creator, Sam Levinson, are reportedly having difficulties in their working relationship. This is thought to be because he focused on his new, and controversial, show ‘The Idol’ rather than continuing work on the highly anticipated third season of ‘Euphoria’.

Sources say the actress and the show’s creator have been disagreeing, reportedly because he focused more on a different 2023 show with Lily Rose Depp and The Weeknd while still working on the second season of their series.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Zendaya became increasingly frustrated when scripts for the third season of Euphoria weren’t provided, leading her to request a meeting with HBO’s top executives, Francesca Orsi and Casey Bloys.

Sources said she angrily questioned why the network let Sam focus on a different show – specifically an HBO show – while the fate of Euphoria was still uncertain.

Zendaya and Levinson were initially friends, but reports of a falling out began in March 2023. This followed a Rolling Stone article that described the show The Idol as having a chaotic and harmful work environment, suggesting production had gone seriously wrong.

The show often received criticism from both viewers and reviewers for its excessive and unnecessary sex scenes, with some calling it ‘torture porn’.

The show was cancelled after only one season, and Zendaya reportedly faced criticism from fans because of it. Sources said she was particularly bothered by the negative reaction, as she worried it would damage her reputation.

According to someone close to the situation, public opinion was shifting against Sam, and people were encouraging Zendaya to separate herself from him.

Several months passed, and Zendaya, Sam, Casey, and Francesca met again, reportedly hoping to repair their relationship. However, someone connected to the show shared that despite once being very close, they were unable to resolve their issues.

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2026-04-13 03:37