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Topics: News, US News, Film and TV, Euphoria, Sydney Sweeney
Kit Roberts
Topics: News, US News, Film and TV, Euphoria, Sydney Sweeney
Chloe Cherry has spoken out about the plot of season of Euphoria as the new season faces criticism over its portrayal of sex work.
Season three of the HBO show picks up five years after the last and sees Cassie, played by Sydney Sweeney, turning to OnlyFans in order to make money to pay for her wedding.
Scenes from this plot line have been the subject of particular criticism over their portrayal of sex work and of Cassie.
While Euphoria has been known for its gritty and unflinching portrayal of addiction and sex, some have claimed that the scenes have taken it 'too far'.
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These have included Sweeney's character engaging in 'puppy play' with her co-star Jacob Elordi's character, dressing as a dog while he holds her on a leash.
Another has seen Sweeney completely naked with ice cream melting down her front.
One particularly controversial scene saw Sweeney dressed as a baby with a pacifier in her mouth and her legs open as she shoots content.
Chloe Cherry, who plays Faye in Euphoria, has now opened up about the series' portrayal of sex work in these scenes, telling Refinery29 that 'it has nothing to do with empowerment'.
The 28-year-old, who had previously starred in pornographic films including an X-rated parody of Euphoria, reflected on how the increasing prominence of OnlyFans is more reflective of people's economic desperation than being about sexual empowerment.
She said: “For me, it just feels crazy as f**k to see somebody living like Cassie turn to sex work. Like... Holy s**t, that’s where we’re at in society?!”
Cherry added: “OnlyFans and sex work has become more normalized, but it's literally only because of capitalism and the economy getting worse.
“It has nothing to do with empowerment or power.”
She claimed that the economy is driving people towards OnlyFans, which also doesn't come with the same dangers as 'in-person' sex work, such as escorting or stripping, as someone can work in their own home, increasing its appeal as a side hustle.
In an economy where the cost of living and jobs are increasingly difficult to come by, Cherry argued that people are resorting to it rather than choosing it.
“The economy is horrible, that's why people are turning to it,” she said. “I really think that OnlyFans is a crazy, weird phenomenon of the 2020s I will look back on and be very confused by.”
Some OnlyFans models have claimed that it has offered them an increased sense of control and autonomy over how they do their work.
OnlyFans generated some generated $7.2 billion in revenue in 2024, and while some accounts earn millions of dollars, the average monthly earnings are said to be around $131.
Cherry recently opened up about transitioning from an adult star into the world of Hollywood, though she warned others about making the same decision.
Speaking to Out Magazine, she admitted: “Genuinely, from the bottom of my heart, I would not recommend a singular person on this Earth get into the adult industry in an attempt to do something that is movies or TV or anything that's not in the adult industry.
“I believe that a person should only enter the adult industry if they want to have a career in the adult industry.
“Nobody should ever enter the adult industry with the hopes of being seen as anything else.”
Cherry went on to claim that the 'only thing that entering the adult industry is going to guarantee is that you'll seen as a porn star'.
“If you're OK with being seen as a porn star for the rest of your life, that is the only reason that you should enter the adult entertainment industry... never to do other things,” she added.