Euphoria viewers have criticised the latest episode of the HBO drama, branding Cassie Howard's OnlyFans storyline as 'disturbing' and a 'humiliation ritual' for actress Sydney Sweeney. The third season, which returned last month after a five-year time jump, follows the characters navigating adult life, with Cassie turning to the adult content platform due to financial struggles.
The episode, released in the UK on 11 May, featured explicit scenes including Cassie sucking her own toes, performing ASMR with her cleavage, and a Godzilla-style fantasy where she destroys buildings with her breasts. Fans took to social media to express their discomfort, with one writing: 'Genuinely what the f*** was that opening??? I’m so f***ing done with this show.' Another added: 'This has got to be a humiliation ritual for Sydney Sweeney.'
Sweeney has previously defended the show's nudity, telling HuffPost after the first season: 'The thing about the nudity in this show is that it’s not glamorised. It’s just real.' She also revealed she sometimes pushed back on nude scenes, telling The Independent: 'There are moments where Cassie was supposed to be shirtless and I would tell Sam [Levinson], “I don’t really think that’s necessary here.” He was like, “OK, we don’t need it.”'
The actress has also spoken out about the double standard surrounding nude scenes, telling Cosmopolitan: 'There are hour-long compilations of world-famous male actors with nude scenes who win Oscars and get praised for that work. But the moment a woman does it, it degrades them.' Despite online trolling, Sweeney remains unhesitant about performing such scenes, telling W Magazine: 'I don’t get nervous. I think that the female body is a very powerful thing.'
