Sydney Sweeney has responded to criticism over her character's storyline in the third season of Euphoria with a three-word caption on Instagram. The 28-year-old actress shared a carousel of behind-the-scenes images from the final season, prompting a wave of support from fans and fellow actors.
Sweeney plays Cassie Jacobs in Sam Levinson's HBO drama, a role she has held since 2019. This season, her character marries her best friend's abusive ex-boyfriend, Nate Jacobs, and pursues a career as an OnlyFans content creator. The arc has drawn backlash from viewers and OnlyFans creators for its depiction of sex work and what some have called 'humiliation' storylines.
In an interview with The New York Times, Levinson revealed that Sweeney pushed back on his attempts to tone down the nudity in her OnlyFans scenes. 'She looked at me and she was like, “Are you kidding? I’m playing an OnlyFans model. You’re telling me you’re going to like, skirt around it?”' Levinson said, praising her as a 'fearless actor'.
OnlyFans creator Maitland Ward criticised the show's portrayal, telling Variety: 'In the climate we’re in, that they dressed her up as a baby to make pornographic OnlyFans content was beyond troubling and again serves to perpetuate stereotypes that sex workers have no moral compass.'
Despite the backlash, The Independent's Nick Hilton awarded the season four stars, writing that Sweeney 'proves that pin-up fame is not incompatible with genuine acting chops'.
