Sydney Sweeney, the breakout star of Euphoria and The White Lotus, has opened up about a deeply unsettling experience following the release of Euphoria.
Sweeney, who plays Cassie in the hit HBO show, was dismayed to discover that nude scenes featuring her character were being shared across social media without her consent, leading to what she described as an incredibly painful and violating experience.
The actress revealed that the worst part was when her younger brother was dragged into the situation, having been tagged in posts containing explicit images of her from the show.
“That was the most hurtful thing that anybody could do,” she said, describing the incident as not just an invasion of privacy but a deeply personal violation.
“My character is completely separate from me. What I do is completely separate from my family. It’s just so disrespectful and distressing.”
In her view, there’s a glaring double standard in Hollywood: “There’s a stigma against actresses who get naked on screen. When a guy has a sex scene or shows his body, he still wins awards and gets praise. But the moment a girl does it, it’s completely different.”
Sweeney pointed out that it wasn’t until her appearance in The White Lotus, where nudity wasn’t a factor, that critics began to truly recognize her acting talent.
“All of a sudden critics are paying attention. People are loving me. They’re going, ‘Oh my God, what’s she doing next?’” she remarked, comparing it to the lack of discussion surrounding her more intimate scenes in Euphoria.
Despite the troubling experience, Sweeney praised the Euphoria team, particularly creator Sam Levinson, for being supportive on set.
“If I didn’t want to do [a nude scene], he didn’t make me,” she said, noting that Levinson was always open to discussion about what was necessary for the story and what wasn’t.
