If there is one thing HBO’s “Euphoria” has consistently done since its debut, it is causing a social media storm with its provocative content.
The controversial series has returned for a third season despite multiple hiccups, including deaths, cast exits, and beef.
The latest installment of the American teen drama series created by Sam Levinson dropped on April 12, leaving fans spiraling over the shocking scenes. Here’s everything that happened before and after “Euphoria” season 3!
Barbie Ferreira Exits’ Euphoria’ After Two Seasons
Before the show’s third season aired, fans were aware that three of the original cast members would not be returning for a last hurrah. The first on the list was actress Barbie Ferreira, who played Kat Hernandez in the first two seasons.
Ferreira announced her exit in 2022 amid speculations of tensions between her and the producers of the show. She recently opened up about the real reason behind her exit on the April 14 episode of Amanda Hirsch’s “Not Skinny But Not Fat” podcast.
The TV personality claimed her exit wasn’t “dramatic,” revealing that she left because the directors could not find a good direction for her character. On that note, Ferreira chose to preserve the integrity of the character instead of forcing her into a storyline she could no longer fit in.
Original Cast Members Are Absent In The New Season
The cast exits continued with Storm Reid, who played Zendaya’s sister on the show. She announced her exit in 2024, later telling Variety that she was proud of her time on the series and grateful for the opportunity. A more dramatic exit came via the show’s music composer, Labrinth, who dropped a scathing post.
In the since-deleted post in March 2026, Labrinth declared that he was done with the industry, writing, “Double F-ck Euphoria.” Rolling Stone reported that he shed light on what happened in another social media post, revealing he would not let anyone treat him “like sh-t.”
Two Original Cast Members Died Before The Third Season Aired
While the three absent cast members willingly parted ways with the show, the same could not be said for two stars. Actors Eric Dane and Angus Cloud, key characters in the show, tragically died before the third season premiered.
Cloud died before Season 3 started filming at the age of 25. His cause of death was an accidental drug overdose, a tragic incident that occurred in July 2023. Dane, on the other hand, passed away at the age of 53 in February 2026, a year after announcing his ALS diagnosis.
TODAY reported that both actors, alongside Kevin Turen, one of the show’s late executive producers, were honored in tributes in the first episode of the new season. Unlike Cloud, who didn’t get to film season 3, Dane did and would reportedly appear in later episodes.
Zendaya And Sydney Sweeney Cause A Stir With Bad Blood Speculations
After the cast exit and tragic deaths came rumors of beef between Zendaya and Sydney Sweeney. The duo kept fans speculating for days on social media platforms, with many noticing their lack of interactions after Sweeney’s controversial American Eagle jeans ad.
The drama escalated after Zendaya did not promote the new season with Sweeney and seemingly avoided her on the premiere red carpet. Sources added fuel to the drama, telling The Sun that the issues between the actresses stemmed from Sweeney’s alleged interest in Tom Holland, Zendaya’s beau.
“It was an open secret that Sydney had the hots for Tom and was flirty with him when he would come to set,” an insider alleged. They claimed Sweeney’s actions did not sit right with Zendaya, and they stopped hanging out. The insider added that the tensions between them were so bad that there was a ban on reporters asking about their beef.
The New Season Of ‘Euphoria’ Leaves Fans Gagging For All The Wrong Reasons
The speculated beef between Zendaya and Sweeney eventually became old news following the first episode of the new season. Fans could not believe their eyes at the provocative content, particularly Sweeney’s role as an aspiring OnlyFans creator.
“This is so embarrassing even for Jacob. But how can Sydney Sweeney agree to do something like this? It’s like a humiliation ritual,” someone lamented on X. Their words referenced Jacob Elordi’s role as Sweeney’s future husband and his distaste for her explicit content.
Another disapproving fan called out one of Sweeney’s scenes where she was dressed like a baby with a pacifier in her mouth. They slammed the show for normalizing “pedophilic content,” labeling the scene “extremely unsettling” and “so sickening.”
The backlash continued with an X user directing their complaints at the show’s creator, Levinson. They referenced the scene where Zendaya’s character swallowed “balls of drugs with lube” before excreting them with the help of a strainer that was later used to make spaghetti. “There’s something seriously wrong with you, Sam Levinson,” the fan declared.
Has “Euphoria” gone too far with its shocking content?
