Zendaya arrived an hour late to the Euphoria season 3 premiere as a 'power move' to avoid tension with Sydney Sweeney, according to Richard Osman and Marina Hyde on The Rest Is Entertainment podcast. Inside sources say the two actresses have a feud and avoid each other on and off set. At the premiere, Zendaya did not pose with any other cast members, according to multiple media reports.
The season has a 42% 'rotten' rating on Rotten Tomatoes, indicating widespread critical disapproval. Viewers on social media criticized scenes of Sydney Sweeney's character Cassie filming OnlyFans content dressed as a baby and a dog, calling it a 'humiliation ritual'. Major media reports confirm that season 3 includes a scene with a Nazi flag and a Swastika tattoo, and the show uses the N-word repeatedly. Additionally, the season features graphic scenes of vomiting and diarrhea, including characters swallowing fentanyl balloons and defecating in a strainer, according to multiple reports.
According to Sam Levinson, Zendaya's character Rue is still struggling with drug addiction and has moved to Mexico. Sydney Sweeney's character Cassie marries Jacob Elordi's character Nate in season 3, multiple reports confirm. Eric Dane appears posthumously in season 3 as Cal Jacobs, according to multiple reports.
Zendaya won an Emmy for Euphoria in 2020, becoming the youngest winner for lead actress in a drama, according to multiple reports. Jacob Elordi was nominated for an Oscar for his role in Guillermo del Toro's 'Frankenstein', multiple reports confirm.
The show is not a moral tale.
The show has been criticized by D.A.R.E. for glamorizing drug use. Zendaya responded to criticism saying the show is not a moral tale, according to the actress.
HBO announced that Euphoria season 3 would return in spring 2026, but there is confusion over the premiere date. Some sources report the season premiered on April 12, 2025, while others say it will premiere on April 12, 2026. This discrepancy of one year could confuse readers about when the season actually aired or is scheduled to air. Research indicates that the second trailer shows Rue in an interrogation room and being asked if she has ever been to Mexico. The trailer also shows Lexi making moves in Hollywood with a cameo from Sharon Stone, and Maddy helping Cassie with her NSFW content career, according to research.
Season 3 of Euphoria was shot on a new Kodak motion picture film stock in both 35mm and 65mm, HBO confirmed. Euphoria became the most-tweeted-about TV show of the decade ahead of the season 2 finale on February 27, 2022, according to X.
The feud between Zendaya and Sydney Sweeney remains unconfirmed by the actresses themselves. The critical consensus beyond the Rotten Tomatoes score is unclear, as is the official plot summary for season 3. The cast and crew have not publicly responded to the controversial scenes.