She has been heavily criticized by viewers and critics alike for her explicit scenes in Euphoria, but Sydney Sweeney is now having the last laugh. Despite the scathing reviews and shocked reactions to the latest season of the controversial series, Euphoria is a genuine ratings sensation.
According to Variety, the second episode of season three attracted 8.5 million viewers across HBO and HBO Max in its first three days in the United States alone. These figures are similar to the season premiere, proving that Euphoria has significant staying power. Ratings have substantially eclipsed those of season two, with Euphoria even dethroning the blockbuster medical drama The Pitt at the top of HBO Max's streaming chart.
Sweeney has also noticeably outshone her co-stars, particularly her rumored rival Zendaya. 'Nobody can stop talking about her in the HBO show,' wrote The Hollywood Reporter, 'even though she co-stars with Zendaya, arguably the hottest actress on the planet right now.'
Outside of Euphoria, Sweeney also recently secured the No. 1 movie on HBO Max with her boxing biopic Christy. Although the film was a box office flop in theaters, it has become a surprise streaming hit. This is not her only film to dominate HBO Max; thanks to the success of Euphoria, Sweeney's critically acclaimed drama Reality, based on the FBI interrogation transcript of American intelligence leaker Reality Winner, is currently in the top ten on HBO Max.
Beyond the HBO world, Sweeney's raunchy thriller The Housemaid is currently the No. 1 movie on Amazon in the US, Australia, the UK, and many other countries. While Sweeney is undeniably a streaming sensation, her many raunchy scenes in the latest season of Euphoria have shocked viewers. In the series, her character Cassie is now working as an OnlyFans model.
In one shocking scene, Cassie dresses up as an infant, complete with a pacifier, while shooting explicit content for her OnlyFans page. Conservative pundit Megyn Kelly lashed out at Sweeney over the scenes in a furious rant on her SiriusXM radio show last week. 'The truth is, this is sexualizing infancy. That's what this is,' Kelly raged while showing an image of Sweeney 'spread eagle' on a couch in a baby costume. She went on to slam fans who defended the content as a 'pretty common kink,' even branding Euphoria's creator, Sam Levinson, as 'sick.'
As for Sweeney, Kelly said she was shocked the actress agreed to the sexual content, referencing another scene from the first episode where she was dressed as a dog and barked for her romantic partner, Nate Jacobs, played by Jacob Elordi. Kelly has frequently expressed mixed feelings about Sweeney on her show. She defended the actress after Sweeney found herself in the middle of a firestorm over her American Eagle ad, where she boasted about her 'good jeans.' Kelly applauded Sweeney for handling the controversy 'like a boss' and blasted the ad's critics.
However, Kelly refused to defend Sweeney in October when the actress sported a sheer silver gown on the red carpet, once again sparking conversation. 'I object to this. I disapprove of the dress she wore because it's completely see-through. You can see her entire nipples,' Kelly said at the time. The commentator did give Sweeney some grace, noting that the actress may have been coerced into wearing the revealing gown.
Back in July, Sweeney's name was on Kelly's tongue once again when the actress was seen at Jeff Bezos' wedding to Lauren Sanchez. 'How does she wind up there?' Kelly questioned, before launching into a brutal jab: 'Sydney Sweeney is the new toast of the town out there because she has these enormous breasts that everybody is obsessed with.'
