Sydney Sweeney marked the end of Euphoria’s third and final season with a carousel of behind-the-scenes images and a pointed, three-word caption. The 28-year-old actress has played Cassie Jacobs in Sam Levinson’s HBO drama since 2019. This season, her character married her best friend’s abusive ex-boyfriend, Nate Jacobs, while pursuing viral fame as an adult content creator on OnlyFans.
Backlash and Response
The storyline drew criticism from viewers and OnlyFans creators for its depiction of sex work and perceived humiliation. In her Instagram post, Sweeney shared photos of Cassie’s racy costumes, captioned simply: “It’s called… acting.” Supporters flooded the comments, with one writing, “Acted so good people are HATING.” Portuguese model Sara Sampaio added, “Carrying the season!!!!!”
Criticism from Sex Workers
Maitland Ward, an OnlyFans creator and former Boy Meets World star, told 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.” She added, “There’s always this untrue stigma that sex work is synonymous with sex trafficking and abuse.”
Levinson Defends Sweeney
In a New York Times interview, creator Sam Levinson revealed Sweeney pushed back on efforts to tone down the nudity. “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 praised her as “a totally fearless actor” and noted the absurdity of the OnlyFans world, saying they aimed to make it “authentic and humorous and dramatic.”
The season earned a four-star review from The Independent’s Nick Hilton, who wrote that Sweeney “proves that pin-up fame is not incompatible with genuine acting chops.”
