Sydney Sweeney OnlyFans plot on 'Euphoria' Season 3 polarizes viewers

Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY Wed, May 13, 2026 at 12:12 PM UTC

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Though "Euphoria" has been raunchy since its 2019 premiere, one character in particular is arguably taking the show's provocative nature to new heights.

The May 10 episode of Season 3 prompted backlash online over a plotline involving the Cassie Howard character, played by Sydney Sweeney. The episode featured nudity with a scene of Sweeney's character topless in a Godzilla-like dream sequence as her OnlyFans career continues to skyrocket.

Some viewers have criticized the season for taking shock value too far, with one X user writing, "the oversexuality of Cassie is ruining Euphoria for me" after the Sunday episode, while another wrote, "Sydney Sweeney they just cant be paying u enough for all this like the money can't be that good."

Others defended the sequence and the overall Cassie plotline, praising Sweeney's performance as the standout of Season 3. In the show, Cassie pursues a career as an OnlyFans model, managed by former best friend Maddy Perez (Alexa Demie), to help pay off a $1 million debt for husband Nate Jacobs (Jacob Elordi).

Sydney Sweeney as Cassie in HBO's "Euphoria."

The latest episode shows Cassie earning thousands off the platform, landing an acting role in a TV series titled "LA Nights" and appearing on several podcasts.

In one podcast, an offscreen voice is heard asking her if she identifies as a Democrat, to which she denies by using an ableist slur. Many viewers interpreted the scene as a subtle reference to Sweeney's political beliefs after BuzzFeed reported in August that Sweeney was registered as a Republican in Florida.

Sweeney earned an Emmy nomination for her performance as Cassie in Season 2, the same year she was also recognized for her role in "The White Lotus" Season 1.

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What has Sydney Sweeney said about 'Euphoria' nude scenes?

While Sweeney has not publicly commented on the mixed response to the new Cassie storyline, the "Anyone But You" actress previously addressed participating in nude scenes on the HBO series.

In a 2022 interview with The Independent, Sweeney revealed that she requested fewer stripped-down scenes in Season 2, which aired in early 2022, after filming topless scenes in Season 1. She said that Levinson cooperated with her wishes.

"There are moments where Cassie was supposed to be shirtless, and I would tell Sam, 'I don’t really think that’s necessary here,'" she told the outlet. "He was like, 'OK, we don’t need it.' I’ve never felt like Sam has pushed it on me or was trying to get a nude scene into an HBO show. When I didn’t want to do it, he didn’t make me."

Megyn Kelly condemned Sydney Sweeney baby costume on 'Euphoria'

Among the critics of the new "Euphoria" season was Megyn Kelly, who criticized creator Sam Levinson for an earlier episode that showed Cassie wearing a baby costume.

"She's in a baby’s outfit, she's sucking on a binkie, and her legs are completely spread. You can have a laugh, of course, because I shocked you, but the truth is this is sexualizing infancy. That's what this is," she said on an April 14 episode of "The Megyn Kelly Show" on SiriusXM.

She also expressed disbelief that Sweeney "agreed to this" and called Levinson "sick" for writing the storyline.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sydney Sweeney 'Euphoria' plotline as Cassie polarizes viewers

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