Sydney Sweeney faces backlash over 'vulgar' baby Euphoria scene that 'crossed a line'
Topics: Euphoria, Sydney Sweeney, HBO, OnlyFans, Film and TV
Niamh Shackleton
Featured Image Credit: Monica Schipper/Getty Images
Topics: Euphoria, Sydney Sweeney, HBO, OnlyFans, Film and TV
Sydney Sweeney has come under fire for an X-rated scene in the latest season of Euphoria.
The long-awaited third season of the hit HBO show dropped last night (April 12), which features late actor Eric Dane in what was one of his last acting roles before his passing in February.
Like Dane, Zendaya, Jacob Elordi, Maude Apatow, and Sydney Sweeney have reprised their respective roles in Euphoria, which has seen fans wait four years for a new season.
It's not new information that the drama is full of eyebrow-raising moments, and season three is no different.
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One scene in particular has caused some backlash online. It shows Sweeney (who plays Cassie) creating content for her newly established OnlyFans page while dressed as a baby.
The 28-year-old is seen in a sheer top with her hair in pigtails, a dummy in her mouth while her legs are in the air.
In the wake of the risqué scene, people have shared their thoughts on social media to criticize Sweeney, HBO, and Euphoria screenwriter Sam Levinson.
One person said: "Nothing about this is even remotely amusing or entertaining enough to watch considering the current political/social climate that has forever sexualized babies."
"Yeah bro that baby sh*t is weird as f**k," added a second. A different person echoed similar sentiments and said: "Whoever made her do that baby pose with baby pacifier needs to be jailed. That sh*t is uncomfortable."
A separate TV fan raged: "I was gonna give this season of Euphoria a chance, but adding age play to satisfy the pedophilic fetish of some people seems way too sick and disgusting to me.
"I can’t believe someone wrote this script, that it got accepted, that the actresses ARE OKAY WITH IT, and that HBO thinks it’s a good idea to approve its filming and airing."
Somebody else wrote: "Euphoria has sunk to a new low — Sydney Sweeney’s character is spreading nothing but vulgarity. What a complete sham."
Others raised the question of why Sweeney agreed to do the scene in the first place. One person said: "Do actors ever question the scenes they be doing?"
Elsewhere, a Euphoria fan branded it 'weird as f**k' that Sweeney didn't say no.
However, some viewers defended the scene, with one commenting: "But it's fiction. It's a mockery of those who make and consume that kind of stuff. It's like you complaining that a movie features a corrupt politician or a serial killer."
Another said: "They are raising a real situation. I'm glad they show how sexualised the planet and our minds are, I hope that way we become a little more conscious."
Along with the criticism of the scene involving Sweeney, there's been some pretty poor reviews of Euphoria's third season.
Season one boasts 80 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, but the latest has debuted on the review platform with a rather uninspired 44 percent.
One reviewer said: "This was actually so bad, it’s like a completely different show. Only watching it for Zendaya."
"We lost the plot. Main storyline is oversexualized now," said a second.
In the US, season three of Euphoria premiered at 9pm on HBO on April 12. New episodes will air at the same time every week until the finale on May 31.
They’ll also drop on HBO Max, however, you’ll need to sign up for a subscription to the streaming platform to watch them there. It offers three subscription plans: Basic with ads at $10.99 per month, Standard at $18.49 per month and Premium at $22.99 per month.
UNILAD has approached HBO, as well as reps for Sweeney and Levinson, for comment.