Sydney Sweeney has sparked intense online discussion over her work in season 3 of Euphoria, which includes scenes some viewers have labelled controversial. Still, the actor has previously been open about how she approaches intimate and nude moments on screen.
Producer Sam Levinson and Sweeney have faced criticism after Cassie was shown taking part in scenarios described by some as ‘puppy play’ as well as a ‘vulgar’ baby kink.
Although Euphoria has a long-running reputation for provocative storylines, detractors argue the latest episodes cross a line with explicit, niche fetishes. A handful of commenters have even accused the series of edging toward ‘pedophilia’ kinks.
Season 3—widely rumoured to be the show’s final run—appears to be Cassie’s most sexually charged yet. In the storyline, she creates an Only Fans account to help pay for her wedding to Nate (Jacob Elordi).
As the plot progresses, Cassie is shown in a dog roleplay scene with her fiancé, where he holds her on a leash and calls her a ‘bad dog’. She responds with “woof, woof”.
Some viewers have since referred to the moment as a “humiliation ritual”.
Another sequence drew backlash as well, depicting Cassie in a ‘happy baby’ yoga pose with her legs extended, wearing white underwear that resembles a diaper, along with a pacifier and pigtails.
While social media criticism has suggested Sweeney embraced the scenes rather than pushing back, she previously told The Independent in January 2022 that she has spoken to Levinson about moments of nudity when she felt it didn’t serve the story.
She also addressed the broader topic of nude scenes, noting that nudity can be a normal part of life and performance.
She said: “There are moments where Cassie was supposed to be shirtless and I would tell Sam, ‘I don’t really think that’s necessary here.’ He was like, ‘OK, we don’t need it.’ I’ve never felt like Sam has pushed it on me or was trying to get a nude scene into an HBO show. When I didn’t want to do it, he didn’t make me.”
Later, Sweeney told Teen Vogue that her remarks had been misconstrued and reframed in a way that implied she demanded scenes be removed.
She clarified: “I never asked him to cut any scenes. It got twisted and turned and it became its own beast, and I was like, ‘Oh, my God.’ It was more how respectful Sam is and how incredible of a director he is, that he would never make me do something I didn’t feel comfortable with. I think [nudity] important to the storyline and the character. There’s a purpose to what that character is going through. That’s the character. We all get naked in real life. We show this character’s life and what they’re going through. Cassie’s body is a different form of communication for her.”