Sydney Sweeney has reignited speculation about a rift with Zendaya after leaving her Euphoria co-star out of a photo collection celebrating the show’s final season.
The actress took to Instagram to share behind-the-scenes snapshots, marking the end of her journey as Cassie Howard—a character whose storyline as an OnlyFans star has sparked debate among viewers.
Included in Sydney’s post were photos featuring several of her Euphoria colleagues, such as Jacob Elordi, Alexa Demie, and the late Eric Dane.
However, Zendaya, 29, was noticeably missing from the tribute, leading fans to theorize that she continues to “distance herself from this season,” and suggesting that the two actresses are not on friendly terms.
Rumors of tension between the two have persisted for years, partly fueled by online chatter about Sweeney’s supposed interest in Zendaya’s partner, Tom Holland.
In the past, it was noted that Sydney, 28, had liked social media posts on X that referred to the Spider-Man star as “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’.
Sydney Sweeney has again fuelled rumours of a feud with Zendaya after she neglected to include images of her Euphoria co-star in an image round-up from the final series
Zendaya is said to have arrived at the Euphoria series three premiere an hour later than Sydney Sweeney to keep her distance from her co-star
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, fuelling rumours 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’s post included images of a number of her Euphoria co-stars including her on-screen husband Jacob Elordi
The actress, pictured with co-star Alexa Demie, shared a series of behind-the-scenes pictures on Instagram as she bid farewell to her role as Cassie Howard
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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.’
Meanwhile, Zendaya has made her stance on Donald Trump clear in the past, sharing a 2020 Instagram post on voting rights captioned: ‘Vote this MF out’.
