'Euphoria' controversies explained: Zendaya-Sydney Sweeney feud, drug glorification row, every scandal from 2019 to Season 3

As ‘Euphoria 3’ rolls out, fans have been discussing all of the things that have gone down with the show since 2019. From the alleged feud between Zendaya and Sydney Sweeney to all of the stars who have made their exit from the show. Here’s a list of controversies, scandals, and more that have followed the beloved show.

Written by Aneesha Saran

Photographer Petra Collins, who is best known for working with Olivia Rodrigo, had alleged that Levinson had copied ‘Euphoria’ from her work. Earlier, Collins claimed she had worked on the show for 4 months. However, she was dropped all of a sudden because of her young age. In an interview with Punkt she had revealed that ‘Euphoria’ had copied a lot of her concepts. She had stated, “A year later, I walked out of my apartment and saw this billboard [for ‘Euphoria’], and it’s exactly… a copy of my work. I started crying. I was so shocked.”

The show has also been accused on multiple occasions of promoting and glorifying the usage of drugs and other illicit substances. D.A.R.E., whose full form is Drug Abuse Resistance Education, cited that the show was promoting ‘high-school student drug use.’ In return, Zendaya had responded and told Entertainment Weekly that “Our show is in no way a moral tale to teach people how to live their life or what they should be doing. If anything, the feeling behind Euphoria, or whatever we have always been trying to do with it, is to hopefully help people feel a little bit less alone in their experience and their pain.”

In one of the episodes of season 1 of ‘Euphoria’, there was a sex scene including Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson’s fictional character as a part of Kat’s story. The scene in itself had caused quite a stir, and not only that, but the ‘Imposter’ singer had also called it out publicly. In a post he made in July 2019, the singer shared, “I can categorically say that I was not contacted nor did I approve it.” Fans of One Direction had also condemned the show creators for being insensitive.

After the success of the second season, ‘Mile End Kicks’ actress Barbie Ferreira announced that she won’t return as Kat in any upcoming seasons. The news had come as a shock, as her popularity had risen tenfold as the show grew day by day. In 2023, in an episode of ‘Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard, ’ she had stated that “I think there were places she could have gone. I just don’t think it would have fit into the show. I don’t know if it was going to do her justice, and I think both parties knew that I really wanted to be able to not be the fat best friend.” On April 10, she stated the same to ‘Collider Ladies Night’, citing “I think everyone knew that the end of the story was there because we didn't have anything else to put.”

There have been multiple claims surrounding ‘Euphoria’ that the working conditions are not all that optimal behind the scenes. An old report from The Daily Beast published in 2022 claimed that the cast members and workers did not have a healthy work environment. There were also allegations that a lot of complaints had been filed with SAG-AFTRA. Some of the allegations included that there were times when people were not allowed to use the bathroom, and were not given meals on time. In reply to the report, the production house behind the show issued a statement with Variety, citing “The well-being of cast and crew on our productions is always a top priority. The production was in full compliance with all safety guidelines and guild protocols.”

Almost a year after the second season aired and introduced the world to Angus Cloud’s character Fezco, it was reported that the actor had passed away. It was shared after an investigation that Cloud had passed away after an accidental fentanyl overdose. The news had been a major shock to the cast, show team, as well as fans as he had quickly risen to the top and had become a fan favourite.

Hunter Schafer, who plays one of the leading ladies, Rue, in the show, has also been at the forefront of backlash and controversies. In August 2022, many netizens and fans alike pointed that she endorsed a post on social media about how non-binary community was behind the legislation citing that HRT (hormone replacement therapy) and gender-affirming surgery were not necessary procedures in Florida. The issue was widely debated on social media, however, the actress never issued a statement about the matter.

Musician Labrinth is known as the core part of creating the trippy and funky vibe of the show through music. He had played a crucial role in scoring the first two seasons; however, in a now-deleted post last month, the singer had revealed that he will not be joining season 3. In another post, while the singer has remained cryptic about his reasons, he further explained his exit from the show. His post read, “I spoke to HBO, as far as I know, we are cool. I left because, last truth, when I work for someone, their vision is paramount to me, but I don’t let people treat me like s***.”

Another issue with ‘Euphoria’ arose after actress Nika King, who plays Rue’s mother in the show dropped a cryptic comment about her pay. While appearing on stage at the Hollywood Improv earlier, she had stated, “Season three is coming out — I don’t f–king know. Don’t ask me, I don’t know. … ‘We need season three!’ B–h, I need season three! I haven’t paid my rent in six months. And Zendaya’s over in Paris at Fashion Week. I’m like, b–h, come home! I need you! Mama needs you!” She had further cited that since ‘Euphoria’ she had not booked any other roles and was in a struggling place.

Allegedly, the show’s creator Sam Levinson and the leading star Zendaya are no longer on best of terms. While the two were pretty close in the first two season, due to the gap of 4 years between season 2 and season 3, a lot of issues arose. The Hollywood Reporter cited in 2024 about how “Sam was so stressful to everyone around him. He is a person who needs to be handled.” As for Zendaya, the actress allegedly got ‘frustrated’ with the entire process and Levinson as well. Another issue that arose was Levinson’s work on ‘The Idol’ which was labeled as ‘torture porn’ among other things.

It did not help that at the premiere for season 3, Zendaya was seen arriving late and rushing around the red carpet. She also hugged Levinson, however, did not stay by his side for a quick photo op even though the director was seen calling out to her.

There have been talks of there being a feud between the two leading ladies of ‘Euphoria.’ From not being seen together for promotional content altogether, to Zendaya arriving late to the premiere to allegedly avoid Sweeney, a lot of instances have happened that fans believe are because of their differing political views. While Zendaya has been overly vocal about her political views and has extended support for multiple social issues, Sweeney’s political inclination and known republican identity are rumored to be the main issue between the two co-stars.

Last year, famed actor Eric Dane, who played Nate Jacob’s father in the series, revealed that he had been diagnosed with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis). Following a year of struggle and battling the disease, he passed away last month at the age of 53. Before his passing, he revealed that he filmed his content for the third season of ‘Euphoria’, which has now become one of his last works in the industry.