Megyn Kelly is once more weighing in on HBO’s most controversial teen drama, and this time, her sharpest criticism is geared toward one of the vital talked-about recent scenes on “Euphoria.”
After the Season 3 premiere and trailer sparked backlash over Sydney Sweeney’s latest storyline as Cassie Howard, Kelly used her show to query how far the series has gone.
Her comments reignited an already heated debate concerning the show’s nudity, creative selections, and where viewers imagine the road needs to be drawn.
Megyn Kelly Says ‘Euphoria’ Crossed A Line With Sydney Sweeney’s Latest Scene
Kelly didn’t hold back while reacting to one of the vital controversial moments from the brand new season of “Euphoria.”
During Tuesday’s episode of “The Megyn Kelly Show,” the previous Fox News host discussed a trailer clip showing Sweeney’s character, Cassie Howard, dressed as a baby while filming content for OnlyFans.
Kelly, who was joined by the hosts of the “Ruthless” podcast, said the imagery went far beyond provocative television.
“The reality is – that is sexualizing infancy. That’s what that is,” Kelly said while showing a picture of Sweeney’s character posed in a compromising position on a couch in a baby costume.
The clip has already stirred strong reactions online, with many fans criticizing the show’s continued use of graphic sexual imagery involving its female characters.
In “Euphoria’s” latest storyline, Cassie is exploring a profession as an OnlyFans creator, which has led to several explicit scenes within the season’s first episode and teaser.
Kelly said she was stunned that the scene made it into the show in any respect, especially given how widely “Euphoria” is consumed by younger audiences.
‘Euphoria’ Creator Sam Levinson Took The Brunt Of Megyn Kelly’s Criticism
While Sweeney’s participation within the scenes surprised Kelly, most of her frustration was directed at “Euphoria” creator Sam Levinson.
The journalist accused the filmmaker of repeatedly pushing actresses into unnecessarily sexualized material and suggested his selections reflected deeper issues.
She referenced past reports that some women on the show were uncomfortable with the extent of nudity required for certain scenes. In line with Kelly, Levinson had a pattern of constructing scenes around nudity quite than using it to serve the story.
Kelly said Levinson was “injecting nudity” into moments where it didn’t have to exist, adding that actresses can have felt pressure to associate with it due to how priceless a breakout role on “Euphoria” may very well be.
She argued that the dynamic in Hollywood often left young performers making difficult compromises in pursuit of profession momentum.
Her strongest criticism was reserved for Levinson personally, calling him “at a minimum a jerk, and greater than likely – an issue.” Certainly one of the “Ruthless” podcast hosts went even further, suggesting the creator can have been acting out a “sick fetish” through the production.
Kelly framed the controversy as part of a bigger industry problem, saying “Euphoria’s” latest scenes show “Hollywood not understanding in any respect where the road is.” In her view, the baby-costume scene was not edgy storytelling but an example of television losing perspective.
‘Euphoria’s Latest Cassie Storyline Has Divided Fans And Critics
The backlash surrounding the most recent season of “Euphoria” didn’t begin with Megyn Kelly’s comments.
Because the first episode dropped on Sunday, viewers have been sharply divided over the direction of Cassie’s character and the show’s broader tone.
In Season 3, Cassie’s storyline centers on her dive into online adult content, with scenes depicting her in increasingly exaggerated sexual situations.
Certainly one of the primary episode’s most talked-about moments showed her dressed as a dog, barking for Nate Jacobs, played by Jacob Elordi. That sequence alone drew widespread discussion before the baby-costume trailer clip surfaced.
Forbes described the premiere episode as “a shadow of what it was, at best,” while The Telegraph wrote that “Euphoria” had “descended into one man’s creepy, sex-obsessed fantasy.”
Fans online have been equally blunt. Some described the trailer scenes as a “humiliation ritual,” while others called them “gross” and “nasty.”
‘Euphoria’ Has Faced Nudity Questions Before And Sydney Sweeney Once Defended Sam Levinson
The present uproar shouldn’t be the primary time “Euphoria” has been accused of going too far. Since its debut, the HBO series has sparked ongoing conversations about nudity, sex, and whether its depictions are essential or excessive.
Levinson has consistently defended his creative decisions, and he recently explained the pondering behind Cassie’s latest scenes.
Speaking concerning the dog-costume sequence, he said the goal was to layer absurdity into the moment quite than simply lean into fantasy.
Chatting with The Hollywood Reporter, he explained, “What we desired to all the time find is the opposite layer of absurdity that we’re capable of tie into it in order that we’re not too inside her fantasy or illusion — the gag is to leap out, to interrupt the wall.”
Levinson added, “We desired to capture what she’s trying to indicate the audience and be inside it, but then also pull back wider and see how depressing it’s.”
Sydney Sweeney has also previously pushed back on claims that she was pressured into nudity. In a 2022 interview with The Independent, she said Levinson had all the time been receptive when she objected to something.
“There are moments where Cassie was presupposed to be shirtless, and I’d tell Sam, ‘I don’t really think that’s essential here.’ He was like, ‘Okay, we don’t need it,’” Sweeney said.
Kelly’s latest comment about “Euphoria” shouldn’t be the primary time she has publicly weighed in on Sweeney.
Over the past yr, Kelly has repeatedly discussed the actress on her show, sometimes defending her and other times criticizing her selections.
Earlier this yr, the 55-year-old got here to the actress’s defense after she became embroiled in controversy over her American Eagle campaign built across the “good jeans/genes” tagline.
Kelly praised Sweeney for handling the criticism “like a boss” and slammed individuals who attacked the campaign.
Nonetheless, Kelly has also been openly critical when she felt Sweeney’s image crossed a line. In October, the media personality took issue with the actress’s see-through silver gown on the red carpet.
“I object to this. I disapprove of the dress she wore since it’s completely see-through. You’ll be able to see her entire nipples,” Kelly said on the time, per the Every day Mail.
Still, Kelly suggested Sweeney may not have had full control over the style selection and left open the chance that industry pressure played a job.