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Sydney Sweeney calls out trolls tagging her family in bold photos from 'Euphoria' scenes: "Disgusting..."

Sweeney said, "I think it's ridiculous. I'm an artist, I play characters. It makes me want to play characters that piss people off more."

Sydney Sweeney, famous for her raw and vulnerable portrayal of Cassie on HBO’s ‘Euphoria,’ once candidly addressed the online harassment she and her family have faced due to her nude scenes on the show. In an interview, she slammed internet trolls who have shared explicit screenshots from her work and even tagged her family members in them. Sweeney remarked, "My cousins don't need that. It's completely disgusting and unfair. You have a character that goes through the scrutiny of being a sexualized person at school and then an audience that does the same thing." The harassment has been deeply personal for her, with parallels between her own experiences and her character Cassie’s journey in the show.

Despite the negativity, Sweeney remains determined in her artistic choices. She exclaimed, “I think it's ridiculous. I'm an artist, I play characters. It makes me want to play characters that piss people off more." Sweeney’s stance about her nude scenes and the backlash they have ignited is nothing new. She has previously discussed the industry’s double standards, where male actors receive accolades for nude roles while women often face objectification, as reported by People magazine.

Reflecting on her portrayal of Cassie, Sweeney highlighted the professionalism on set, praising 'Euphoria' creator Sam Levinson for being supportive of her boundaries. She noted, “There are moments where [my character] Cassie was supposed to be shirtless and I would tell Sam, ‘I don’t really think that’s necessary here,’ He was like, ‘OK, we don’t need it.’” Moreover, she also praised the inclusion of an intimacy coordinator, ensuring her comfort during sensitive scenes.

However, not all of her experiences in the industry have been positive. As per Deadline, Sweeney has recalled times when she felt exploited and uncomfortable during filming. She asserted, “I’ve had experiences where I want to go home and scrub myself completely raw because I feel disgusting. I didn’t feel comfortable with my castmate or the crew, and I just didn’t feel like my character would be doing it.” The impact of her work on her family has been a mix of awkwardness and unexpected humor. In an interview, Sweeney revealed her father and grandfather’s reactions after watching the show without any heads-up. She shared, "I didn't prepare my dad at all…So he decided he was going to watch it without telling me, with his parents. My dad and my grandpa turned it off and walked out."

In contrast, her mother and grandmother have been staunch supporters. She further spilled the beans,  "For the premiere, I invited my entire family and I didn't really think about the nudity. My grandparents, my uncle. We were all sitting next to each other and [it was a] giant screen, like ginormous screen. I was on the floor…They said I have the best t-ts in Hollywood." Sweeney’s decision to invite her whole family to the show’s premiere, without considering the aftermath, remains a memorable anecdote.