Megyn Kelly is once again weighing in on HBO’s most controversial teen drama, and this time, her sharpest criticism is aimed at one of the most talked-about new scenes on “Euphoria.”
After the Season 3 premiere and trailer sparked backlash over Sydney Sweeney’s latest storyline as Cassie Howard, Kelly used her show to question how far the series has gone.
Her comments reignited an already heated debate about the show’s nudity, creative choices, and where viewers believe the line should be drawn.
Megyn Kelly Says ‘Euphoria’ Crossed A Line With Sydney Sweeney’s Latest Scene
Kelly did not hold back while reacting to one of the most controversial moments from the new season of “Euphoria.”
During Tuesday’s episode of “The Megyn Kelly Show,” the former Fox News host discussed a trailer clip showing Sweeney’s character, Cassie Howard, dressed as a baby while filming content for OnlyFans.
Kelly, who was joined by the hosts of the “Ruthless” podcast, said the imagery went far beyond provocative television.
“The truth is – this is sexualizing infancy. That’s what this is,” Kelly said while showing an image of Sweeney’s character posed in a compromising position on a couch in a baby costume.
The clip has already stirred strong reactions online, with many fans criticizing the show’s continued use of graphic sexual imagery involving its female characters.
In “Euphoria’s” latest storyline, Cassie is exploring a career as an OnlyFans creator, which has led to several explicit scenes in the season’s first episode and teaser.
Kelly said she was stunned that the scene made it into the show at all, especially given how widely “Euphoria” is consumed by younger audiences.
‘Euphoria’ Creator Sam Levinson Took The Brunt Of Megyn Kelly’s Criticism
While Sweeney’s participation in the scenes surprised Kelly, most of her frustration was directed at “Euphoria” creator Sam Levinson.
The journalist accused the filmmaker of repeatedly pushing actresses into unnecessarily sexualized material and suggested his choices reflected deeper issues.
She referenced past reports that some women on the show were uncomfortable with the level of nudity required for certain scenes. According to Kelly, Levinson had a pattern of building scenes around nudity rather than using it to serve the story.
Kelly said Levinson was “injecting nudity” into moments where it did not need to exist, adding that actresses may have felt pressure to go along with it because of how valuable a breakout role on “Euphoria” could be.
She argued that the dynamic in Hollywood often left young performers making difficult compromises in pursuit of career momentum.
Her strongest criticism was reserved for Levinson personally, calling him “at a minimum a jerk, and more than likely – a problem.” One of the “Ruthless” podcast hosts went even further, suggesting the creator may have been acting out a “sick fetish” through the production.
Kelly framed the controversy as part of a larger industry problem, saying “Euphoria’s” latest scenes show “Hollywood not understanding at all where the line is.” In her view, the baby-costume scene was not edgy storytelling but an example of television losing perspective.
‘Euphoria’s New Cassie Storyline Has Divided Fans And Critics
The backlash surrounding the latest season of “Euphoria” did not begin with Megyn Kelly’s comments.
Since the first episode dropped on Sunday, viewers have been sharply divided over the direction of Cassie’s character and the show’s broader tone.
In Season 3, Cassie’s storyline centers on her dive into online adult content, with scenes depicting her in increasingly exaggerated sexual situations.
One of the first episode’s most talked-about moments showed her dressed as a dog, barking for Nate Jacobs, played by Jacob Elordi. That sequence alone drew widespread discussion before the baby-costume trailer clip surfaced.
Forbes described the premiere episode as “a shadow of what it was, at best,” while The Telegraph wrote that “Euphoria” had “descended into one man’s creepy, sex-obsessed fantasy.”
Fans online have been equally blunt. Some described the trailer scenes as a “humiliation ritual,” while others called them “gross” and “nasty.”
‘Euphoria’ Has Faced Nudity Questions Before And Sydney Sweeney Once Defended Sam Levinson
The current uproar is not the first time “Euphoria” has been accused of going too far. Since its debut, the HBO series has sparked ongoing conversations about nudity, sex, and whether its depictions are necessary or excessive.
Levinson has consistently defended his creative decisions, and he recently explained the thinking behind Cassie’s latest scenes.
Speaking about the dog-costume sequence, he said the goal was to layer absurdity into the moment rather than simply lean into fantasy.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, he explained, “What we wanted to always find is the other layer of absurdity that we’re able to tie into it so that we’re not too inside of her fantasy or illusion — the gag is to jump out, to break the wall.”
Levinson added, “We wanted to capture what she’s trying to show the audience and be inside of it, but then also pull back wider and see how depressing it is.”
Sydney Sweeney has also previously pushed back on claims that she was pressured into nudity. In a 2022 interview with The Independent, she said Levinson had always been receptive when she objected to something.
“There are moments where Cassie was supposed to be shirtless, and I would tell Sam, ‘I don’t really think that’s necessary here.’ He was like, ‘Okay, we don’t need it,’” Sweeney said.
Kelly’s latest comment about “Euphoria” is not the first time she has publicly weighed in on Sweeney.
Over the past year, Kelly has repeatedly discussed the actress on her show, sometimes defending her and other times criticizing her choices.
Earlier this year, the 55-year-old came to the actress’s defense after she became embroiled in controversy over her American Eagle campaign built around the “good jeans/genes” tagline.
Kelly praised Sweeney for handling the criticism “like a boss” and slammed people who attacked the campaign.
However, Kelly has also been openly critical when she felt Sweeney’s image crossed a line. In October, the media personality took issue with the actress’s see-through silver gown on the red carpet.
“I object to this. I disapprove of the dress she wore because it’s completely see-through. You can see her entire nipples,” Kelly said at the time, per the Daily Mail.
Still, Kelly suggested Sweeney may not have had full control over the fashion choice and left open the possibility that industry pressure played a role.
