Sweeney's 'Euphoria' Stance
Euphoria Creator Reveals Sydney Sweeney Declined to Reduce Nudity, Praises Flexibility
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As *Euphoria* wrapped its third and final season, creator Sam Levinson revealed that Sydney Sweeney — not the showrunner — pushed to keep her nude scenes fully intact. Levinson told The New York Times Popcast that when he suggested shooting around certain scenes, Sweeney shut it down immediately. Her response: "Are you kidding? I'm playing an OnlyFans model. You're telling me you're going to, like, skirt around it?"
The 93-minute series finale, "In God We Trust," aired May 31, 2026, ending with the deaths of Rue Bennett and Nate Jacobs. Variety reported Levinson praised Sweeney as a "totally fearless actor," adding that "the best, most honest performances are when an actor feels free and safe."
Cassie's OnlyFans Arc Sparked the Biggest Debate
Season 3 made a sharp turn from the high school setting of earlier seasons. Cassie Howard's storyline centered on launching an OnlyFans account to fund a $50,000 wedding. Scenes included "age-play" and "pup-play" content. Levinson defended the material as exploring the "absurdity" of the OnlyFans world, according to The New York Times Popcast.
Levinson also noted that actors are informed of nudity requirements during the audition phase. Under SAG-AFTRA's 2026 Intimacy Coordinator mandates, an intimacy coordinator must be present for any scene involving simulated sex or nudity. Sweeney's choice to push back on any toning-down was entirely her own, Levinson said.
Real OnlyFans Creators Say the Show Got It Wrong
Not everyone bought the "artistic integrity" framing. Real-life OnlyFans creator Sydney Leathers told Variety that Cassie's depictions were "cartoonish." She pointed out a specific problem: the age-play scene Cassie films would actually get a creator banned from the real OnlyFans platform for breaking community guidelines.
Sex worker advocates Charli Anderson and Maedb Joy also went public with criticism. They told Dazed the show used their industry as a "shallow aesthetic" without consulting anyone in the community — resulting in portrayals they called "inaccurate and harmful."
Huge Ratings but the Show's Worst Critical Reception
The numbers were massive. The Season 3 premiere drew 8.5 million U.S. viewers in its first three days — a 44% jump over the Season 2 premiere — according to HBO Pressroom. Global viewership topped 20 million. The finale week racked up over 1.3 billion minutes watched, per Nielsen.
But critics were not impressed. Season 3 holds a 42% rating on Rotten Tomatoes — the show's lowest ever. The Guardian called it a "lurid epic." Forbes noted Colman Domingo's performance as a "saving grace" in an otherwise "scattered" season. The finale trended at #1 on X for 12 straight hours.
Two Very Different Stories About Who Is Really in Control
Levinson frames Sweeney's refusal as proof of creative freedom and mutual trust on set. But critics online — particularly on Reddit and X — see it differently. They argue Levinson's public comments are a "PR move" to place responsibility for the explicit content on the actress, shielding him from criticism after the failure of his previous series *The Idol*, per The Guardian.
Sweeney's camp, however, benefits too. Analysts say her "fearless" public image — cemented by this story — has turned her into a "human discourse magnet" who drives attention toward her growing film career. With *Euphoria* now fully concluded, HBO loses its second-most-watched drama behind *Game of Thrones*, and Levinson moves on without a clear next project confirmed.
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