In a strange, twisted way, this season of 'Euphoria' is starting to feel a bit like art imitating life, particularly in the way the HBO drama is mirroring the public discourse that has surrounded Sydney Sweeney through her character, Cassie.
For Sweeney's part, she has recently faced backlash after being branded a 'MAGA Barbie' amid a string of political controversies. There was last summer's American Eagle 'great jeans/genes' ad, which drew praise from President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance. Not long after, it was also revealed that she was registered as a Republican.
Now, it seems Sweeney's 'Euphoria' character is echoing right-wing sentiments, too, in the latest installment of Season 3.
Cassie's Descent into Sex Work and Right-Wing Rhetoric
In Episode 5, 'This Little Piggy,' Cassie has officially plunged deep into the world of sex work to 'bring home the bacon' after her husband, Nate (Jacob Elordi), has gone broke owing debts to a shady businessman. With help from her former bestie-turned-manager, Maddy (Alexa Demie), Cassie's OnlyFans following starts to skyrocket, so she hits the podcast circuit hard to gain more exposure and male subscribers.
In one montage of her various podcast appearances, the blond bombshell proudly spouts off right-wing, tradwife-adjacent takes, declaring, 'I just feel like American men have been treated like second-class citizens.'
'In the past, men used to be hunters and gatherers and protectors,' Cassie adds. 'Now, they're being forced to walk around on their tippy toes. It's not natural.'
Then, 'Euphoria' really takes it there. During an appearance with a podcast host (played by Trisha Paytas), Cassie doubles down on the idea that modern men are being restricted by society, boldly noting, 'If a man today were to say that he wants a girlfriend that could cook or clean, he might as well be screaming the N-word.'
The visibly stunned host replies, 'Well, you sound like a Democrat,' prompting Cassie to laugh dismissively before dropping the slur for someone with intellectual disabilities: 'I'm not r****ded.'
Whether these comments reflect Cassie's actual beliefs or are simply part of a calculated way to grow her OnlyFans empire is unclear. But regardless, the strategy pays off, as Maddy informs her, 'You know what's funny? The angrier these idiots get, the more money you make.'
Social Media Reactions
On social media, viewers were not exactly shocked at Cassie's gall, seeing as though some cannot tell where the character ends and Sweeney begins. Many users posted comments suggesting that Sweeney was not acting, but rather expressing her own views. For example, one user wrote, 'I don't think Sydney Sweeney was acting on those podcasts hunni,' while another said, 'I just know Sydney Sweeney couldn't WAIT to say this line.' Others noted, 'Cassie coming out as republican but are we honestly surprised…that might as well just be Sydney Sweeney telling y'all as well.'
Another user commented, 'Cassie confirming she's a Republican. Sydney Sweeney must have loved reading that.' Some even claimed that Trisha Paytas admitted the lines were improv, suggesting Sweeney was not acting at all. One tweet read, 'sam levinson when he realized he could get sydney sweeney to speedrun all his kinks and throw in a few slurs too.'
Sweeney's Real-Life Response
In real life, Sweeney has managed to weather her politically charged scandals by hardly addressing them at all. Although she did directly respond to the American Eagle ad backlash late last year in a People interview, in which she said she was 'honestly surprised by the reaction.'
'I did it because I love the jeans and love the brand,' Sweeney told the outlet. 'I don't support the views some people chose to connect to the campaign. Many have assigned motives and labels to me that just aren't true.'
'Anyone who knows me knows that I'm always trying to bring people together. I'm against hate and divisiveness,' she continued. 'In the past, my stance has been to never respond to negative or positive press, but recently I have come to realize that my silence regarding this issue has only widened the divide, not closed it.'
Explicit Scenes and Season 3 Direction
Cassie's ableist slur was not the only moment in Sunday's episode of 'Euphoria' that left viewers floored. The HBO series has long been criticized for the way it hypersexualizes the character, but Episode 5 takes it to the extreme with wildly explicit scenes starring Sweeney. One in particular shows her character going topless as a Godzilla-like monster as she interrupts a businessman in his skyscraper office jerking off to her OnlyFans content.
This low-hanging fruit has, sadly, become par for the course this season of 'Euphoria,' a sharp departure from the hit teen drama that made waves over its first two seasons before taking a yearslong hiatus. So far, Season 3 has been marked by abrupt story shifts, rage-baiting slurs and a crime-driven Western theme that (spoiler alert) may have just killed off a major character (at least that is what Episode 5's cliffhanger wants us to believe). Where the Sam Levinson-created series goes from here is truly a mystery. But whatever happens next, you can probably bet it will involve something deeply, deeply unsettling.
New episodes of 'Euphoria' premiere Sundays on HBO and HBO Max.
