Sydney Sweeney’s New ‘Euphoria’ Role Faces Backlash From OnlyFans Creators
Sydney Sweeney’s new storyline in ‘Euphoria’ Season 3 is generating significant backlash online, particularly from real-life OnlyFans creators who argue that the show’s depiction of sex workers is exaggerated, unrealistic, and offensive.
The criticism primarily stems from interviews published by Variety, which featured several OnlyFans creators and adult performers reacting to the introduction of Cassie’s controversial content creator storyline in the new season.
In this season, Cassie, portrayed by Sydney Sweeney, launches an OnlyFans account while attempting to curate a glamorous online persona. The show depicts her creating shocking and provocative content in hopes of achieving online success. However, many real-life creators assert that the series fundamentally misunderstands how platforms like OnlyFans operate.
OnlyFans creator Sydney Leathers expressed her frustration in an interview with Variety, stating that some of the content shown in the series would not even be permissible on the platform. She remarked, “There’s just a lot that’s ridiculous and cartoonish about it.”
Leathers specifically criticized scenes featuring age-play costumes, arguing that they crossed a line and perpetuated harmful stereotypes about sex workers. She noted, “The age-play stuff where she’s dressed as a baby in a diaper, for example… is infuriating.”
According to Leathers, platforms like OnlyFans enforce strict rules due to oversight from payment companies regarding what creators can upload. She highlighted that many people mistakenly believe creators can post anything they wish online, when in fact, there are significant restrictions.
Adult actress and prominent creator Maitland Ward also voiced her concerns about the storyline during her interview with Variety. Ward stated that the scenes reinforce outdated stereotypes that negatively impact sex workers in reality.
She explained, “It serves to perpetuate stereotypes that sex workers have no moral compass and that they will do anything for money.” Ward expressed disappointment that the storyline seemed to treat the subject matter lightly rather than accurately portraying the realities of online sex work.
Another creator, Alix Lynx, acknowledged that the show partially captured the significance of social media promotion and audience building. However, she felt ‘Euphoria’ oversimplified the process and made success appear too effortless.
Lynx explained, “It’s portrayed that if you just dress up and do crazy shit, you’ll instantly make money.” She added that real creators invest years in building their audiences and nurturing relationships with subscribers before achieving success.
One of the most significant complaints from the creators interviewed by Variety was the tendency of Hollywood to depict sex workers in extreme or negative lights. Many expressed frustration over the lack of accurate and respectful portrayals in film and television.
Leathers encapsulated this frustration by stating, “Sex workers in general, myself included, tend to be hyper-sensitive about the way Hollywood portrays us because it’s almost never nice.”
In response, ‘Euphoria’ creator Sam Levinson defended the storyline’s direction in comments shared with The Hollywood Reporter. Levinson stated that the scenes were intended to illustrate absurdity and emotional emptiness rather than glamour.
He elaborated, “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.”
Despite this explanation, many creators still feel the show has missed the mark. For them, the issue transcends mere controversy; it reflects a broader misunderstanding, mockery, or reduction of real online workers to stereotypes in mainstream entertainment.
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