Sam Levinson Explains OnlyFans Storyline in Euphoria Season 3

Sam Levinson, the creator of Euphoria, has spoken out in support of the contentious OnlyFans storyline featured in the show’s third and concluding season.

In this season, Sydney Sweeney’s character, Cassie Howard, engages in sex work with the help of Maddy, played by Alexa Demie, who acts as her manager. Several scenes involving Cassie have attracted widespread attention and criticism, adding to the series' divisive reputation.

Levinson defended the inclusion of this plot during an appearance on Real Time With Bill Maher, as reported by The Wrap, describing OnlyFans as “a massive enterprise” rivaling Hollywood in revenue.

“It’s not a niche business, it is a massive enterprise. And so if you’re young, you’re going … ‘I don’t want to go work in a nine to five at this place or that thing. Well, maybe I can just start taking photos of myself?’” Levinson explained, emphasizing his interest in examining “the long-term consequences of that” and the effects of social media validation and OnlyFans on individuals.

“What happens when you know, as a young person, you’re on Instagram … and you’re told that you’re the product, you’re the brand, and now you’re 18 years old, and you’re going well, ‘How do I make money?’” Levinson continued. “And I just thought chasing that desire, that kind of fast cash, was an interesting thing to kind of explore.”

The showrunner added that the series offers a “fairly critical look at it,” illustrating how such pursuits “hollow out the individual.”

“You know, you’re constantly just depending on the likes and external validation,” he said.

Sydney Sweeney also commented on her character Cassie’s development and defended the explicit scenes she performed in the final season.