Megyn Kelly has taken aim at Sydney Sweeney over a contentious scene featuring her character on the hit series “Euphoria.” In the clip, Sweeney’s character, Cassie Howard, is depicted as a baby while creating content for OnlyFans, a portrayal that has sparked significant backlash.
The controversy unfolded following the premiere of the third season’s first episode on Sunday. Many fans expressed concern about the show’s hypersexualized portrayal of female characters, which they found troubling.
A season-long trailer features Sweeney’s Cassie in a provocative baby costume, prompting Kelly to accuse the show of “sexualizing infancy.” This critique came to light during a discussion on Tuesday’s episode of “The Megyn Kelly Show,” where Kelly was joined by hosts from the Ruthless podcast.
“The truth is – this is sexualizing infancy. That’s what this is,” Kelly asserted, referencing an image from the trailer that shows Sweeney in a compromising position on a couch, dressed as a baby.
Kelly didn’t hold back, criticizing fans who defended the scene as representing a “pretty common kink.” She further condemned the show’s creator, Sam Levinson, calling him “sick” for including such content in the storyline.
She went on to slam fans who defended its content as a ‘pretty common kink,’ even branding Euphoria’s creator, Sam Levinson, as ‘sick.’
As for Sweeney, Kelly said she was shocked the actress agreed to the sexual content, referencing another scene from the first episode where she was dressed as a dog and barked for her romantic partner, Nate Jacobs, played by Jacob Elordi.
Levinson took the majority of the heat from the talk show host. Kelly went on to reference reports that some of the actresses on Euphoria were uncomfortable with the amount of nudity.
Megyn Kelly criticized a controversial scene in Euphoria Season 3 depicting actress Sydney Sweeney dressed as a baby. She told the hosts of the Ruthless podcast, pictured above, that the image was ‘sexualizing infancy’
Sydney Sweeney plays Cassie Howard in the HBO series Euphoria. A trailer for the newest season revealed her dressed as a baby in a compromising sexual position, pictured above
Kelly said the show’s trailer was an example of ‘Hollywood not understanding at all where the line is.’ She’s pictured above on Tuesday’s episode
She accused Levinson of ‘injecting nudity’ into scenes so the actresses would have to take their clothes off.
Kelly speculated that the actresses put up with the excessive nudity because they want to be stars, but noted that some stories have leaked to the press that the women were uncomfortable.
She then slammed Levinson as ‘at a minimum a jerk, and more than likely – a problem.’
Kelly argued that the controversial scenes were an example of ‘Hollywood not understanding at all where the line is,’ adding that most ‘normal people,’ including Sweeney’s fans, will recoil at her dressed as a baby.
The hosts of the Ruthless podcast agreed with Kelly’s analysis, with one even speculating that Levinson was working out a ‘sick fetish’ through Euphoria’s production.
Kelly added that she had not seen the show and speculated that the controversial scenes were potentially a commentary on OnlyFans and porn culture.
In the series, Sweeney’s character, Cassie, is exploring a career as an OnlyFans model.
Kelly has frequently expressed mixed feelings about Sweeney on her show. She defended the actress after Sweeney found herself in the middle of a firestorm over her American Eagle ad, where she boasted about her ‘good jeans/genes.’
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The first episode of Euphoria Season 3 dropped on Sunday, prompting a slew of negative reviews for how the women were depicted. Sweeney is pictured above in a scene from the episode dressed as a dog
In the newest season, Sweeney’s character, Cassie, is trying to start an OnlyFans career. Her first scene reveals her dressed as a dog, where she barks for her romantic partner, played by Jacob Elordi
Critics slammed Sweeney’s character as ‘gross’ and a ‘humiliation ritual,’ but the show’s creator defended the dog scene as humorous
Kelly also criticized the show’s creator, Sam Levinson, pictured above, calling him ‘sick.’ Sweeney has previously defended Levinson. The two are pictured above at the Season 3 premiere on April 7
Kelly applauded Sweeney for handling the controversy ‘like a boss’ and blasted the ad’s critics.
However, Kelly refused to defend Sweeney in October when the actress sported a see-through silver gown on the red carpet, once again sparking conversation.
‘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.
The commentator did give Sweeney some grace, noting that the actress may have been coerced into wearing the revealing gown.
Back in July, Sweeney’s name was on Kelly’s tongue once again when the actress was seen at Jeff Bezos’ wedding to Lauren Sanchez.
‘How does she wind up there?’ Kelly questioned, before launching into a brutal jab: ‘Sydney Sweeney’s the new toast of the town out there because she’s got these enormous breasts that everybody’s obsessed with.’
Kelly is far from the only one criticizing Sweeney. Sweeney’s politics have come under a microscope since her viral American Eagle ad, and her portrayal of Cassie in Euphoria’s latest season has drawn a slew of negative reviews.
Forbes called the premiere episode ‘a shadow of what it was, at best,’ while The Telegraph said the show had ‘descended into one man’s creepy, sex-obsessed fantasy.’
The trailer for the season also disappointed fans, with online commentary claiming it was a ‘humiliation ritual.’ Others called the controversial scenes ‘gross’ and ‘nasty.’
Kelly has expressed mixed opinions about Sweeney, previously criticizing a see-through dress the actress wore and speculating that she only received an invite to Jeff Bezos’ wedding because people were ‘obsessed’ with her ‘breasts’
Euphoria Season 3 premiered on Sunday. A new episode drops every week
Levinson has defended the show, explaining that Sweeney’s sexual scenes were intended to ‘break the wall’ between the audience and the characters.
He said Cassie has ‘got her dog house and her little dog ears and the nose, and that has its own humor, but what makes the scene is the fact that her housekeeper is the one filming it.’
‘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.’
‘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.’
Sweeney told The Independent in 2022 that she never felt pushed into doing naked scenes, and Levinson welcomed feedback.
‘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,”‘ she added.
The Daily Mail has reached out to HBO Max for additional comment on Kelly’s criticism of the show.
