Sydney Sweeney has finally addressed the rumors of a rift in the cast of Euphoria including with fellow A-lister Zendaya.
There have been persistent whispers for years that the 28-year-old Sweeney and 29-year-old Zendaya have not gotten along with claims ranging from a difference in political beliefs and Sydney’s alleged interest in Zendaya’s now fiance Tom Holland.
The third and final season of Euphoria just aired with the two stars never interacting directly on screen together as there was a long delay before the season and rumors of drama between the cast.
Sweeney seemed to blame the media for the allegations as she was asked how she deals with the constant noise regarding the feuds and other on set drama.
‘Well, I mean, we all grew up together on this show, so it’s honestly crazy to watch how much social media and the press spin things,’ she told Vanity Fair in a feature published on Tuesday.
The actress reveals that she was in ‘first position’ at HBO meaning that her commitment to filming Euphoria was contractually takes priority over any other commitments.
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The blonde bombshell continued: ‘So the moment they say, “Hey, this is the first day of filming,” I’m legally not allowed to do anything else. So my schedule doesn’t affect the show.
‘And so that was funny to watch everybody spin narratives on it. All of us were in first position, so it wasn’t like any of our schedules were holding it up.’
Though she skirted around addressing the rumored feuds, specifically with Zendaya directly, her recent actions have been eyebrow-raising as she neglected to include images of the fellow A-lister when she shared a gallery of behind-the-scenes snaps from Euphoria last week.
Her Instagram post included images of a number of her Euphoria co-stars including her on-screen husband Jacob Elordi, Alexa Demie and the late Eric Dane.
But Zendaya was notably absent from the tribute, with fans speculating that she has continued ‘to distance herself from this season’ and claiming it’s clear that the two are not friends.
Whispers of a feud between the pair have circulated for years, fueled by online speculation around Sweeney’s alleged interest in her co-star’s partner Tom Holland.
It was previously reported that Sydney had liked posts on X calling the Spider-Man actor ‘hot’.
A source also claimed: ‘There were tensions way back. It was an open secret that Sydney had the hots for Tom and was flirty with him when he would come to set.’
Sydney’s well-known political views are said to have also caused divide, with the star earning the nickname ‘MAGA Barbie’.
The pair also arrived separately to the premiere of the third series, with Zendaya reportedly turning up an hour later than her co-star.
The actress was also seen chatting warmly with Hunter Schafer while ignoring Sydney, fueling rumors of a feud.
Following the premiere a wave of additional clips surfaced online, with viewers claiming they showed the stars deliberately avoiding each other.
One observer wrote: ‘Zendaya showed up and immediately got back in her car’, to which a fellow fan replied: ‘So she wasn’t playing about not doing press with Sydney Sweeney lmaoooo’.
Speculation intensified earlier this year when Sydney was notably absent from the latest season’s cast photo, with a source later claiming she was filming a scene at the time it was taken.
Her politics have also added to online divisions following backlash over her public profile and brand campaigns.In January she pushed back against attempts to label her politically and pigeonhole her as a ‘MAGA Barbie’, saying she had been unfairly turned into a symbol in a wider culture war.
Sydney said she had never set out to discuss politics publicly, adding that she felt increasingly boxed in by outside interpretations of who she is.
She added: ‘I’ve never been here to talk about politics. I’ve always been here to make art, so this is just not a conversation I want to be at the forefront of.
‘I think because of that, people want to take it even further and use me as their own pawn.’Sydney also reflected on the difficulty of correcting public narratives, saying there was often ‘no winning’ once perceptions had taken hold.
‘I haven’t figured it out. I’m not a hateful person. If I say: “That’s not true”, they’ll come at me like: “You’re just saying that to look better”. There’s no winning. There’s never any winning.’
She added: ‘I just have to continue being who I am, because I know who I am. I can’t make everyone love me. I know what I stand for.’
