Euphoria Star Won’t Allow Toxic Set Allegations Ruin the Show, Wants Young Actors to Suck it up

Euphoria, the teen drama, is one of the biggest successes of HBO Max. Directed by Sam Levinson, this show jumpstarted the careers of many young, talented actors like Sydney Sweeney, Alexa Demie, Jacob Elordi, Barbie Ferreira, and others. The first season was actually a huge success, not just with the audiences but also with the critics, with a staggering 80% Rotten Tomatoes critic score.

However, people were not quite receptive to the second season. Especially because of the excessive nudity and drug abuse that were seen throughout the season. Slowly, the show started getting called out since it was s*xualizing characters that were supposed to be in high school, and the problematic aspects of the show were coming to the fore. To top that off, the cast and crew spoke up about the production and called it a “toxic” production.

Naturally, that sent all the fans fuming with anger. However, this Euphoria star recently came out in support of the show and basically told all the accusers to have better “work ethics.”

Euphoria Star comes out in support of the show against all allegations

Colman Domingo, who plays the character of addict Ali Muhammad on Euphoria, recently gave a controversial interview to the Independent. In that interview, he said that a lot of the young actors might not be up for the task and defended the show against all the allegations:

“I’m not gonna invalidate [anyone’s] experience. But working in television is long hours. Sometimes you work up to 14 hours a day. And then you have to go home and prep. You have to really live and work in a very methodical way. A lot of young actors may not be up for the task, or have that same work ethic.”

Also Read: “It’s a real thing.. they will die because of this disease”: Angus Cloud, Who Played a Drug Dealer in ‘Euphoria’, Had a Bold Statement About Addiction Before His Death at 25

He continued to say that:

“I’ve been in this business for 32 years. I know what hard work is. So when I heard those ‘reports,’ I thought, ‘Where is this coming from? That’s just a normal work day.’ Be a professional.”

He then went on to defend Sam Levinson, who is under quite some heat after his recent antics in his recent show The Idol, which got canceled only after one season:

“There’s no one that’s going to mistreat you on the set of ‘Euphoria.’ Sam Levinson is joyful, and collaborative, and could not be a bigger advocate for his actors.”

This is not the first time a cast member of Euphoria has come forward to support the show against the allegations. Actor Jacob Elordi also defended the show in an interview with Variety:

“We’re making movies, you know what I mean? I mean that in the broad sense, like this is filmmaking. And whilst you shouldn’t suffer, to me there’s great value in working hard. And for every hour that I’ve personally put in on that set, I can see it when I watch the show, and I can feel it when I’m walking on the street and people love the show.”

Also Read: “They did not think I was right”: Sydney Sweeney’s Plea to Be in ‘The White Lotus’ Was Nearly Rejected Because of ‘Euphoria’

Even after HBO’s countless attempts to defend Euphoria, it still remained shrouded in controversy.

Allegations against Euphoria and Sam Levinson

In an exclusive by The Daily Beast, many cast and crew members opened up to the magazine and alleged that the work environment was “toxic,” to say the least. The news outlet also reported that:

“Workdays would sometimes stretch to 18 hours and there were several complaints made to SAG-AFTRA. At one point, after multiple complaints from background actors over working conditions, sources allege that a union representative was sent to the set to ensure that union guidelines were being followed.”

The Idol, another Sam Levinson calamity, came right after the show and there a union member was seen comically being on set to make sure a certain nudity contract was being followed by Lily-Rose Depp’s character. Ultimately, her manager is seen locking the union member in the bathroom to let the shoot go on. This can be a jab by Levinson at the Euphoria stars and the SAG-AFTRA. 

Also Read: “It’s completely disgusting and unfair”: Sydney Sweeney Hates Fans For Sl-t-Shaming Her, Claims She’s Different From Her ‘Euphoria’ Character in Real Life

HBO sent out an immediate statement, saying:

“The well-being of cast and crew on our productions is always a top priority. The production was in full compliance with all safety guidelines and guild protocols. It’s not uncommon for drama series to have complex shoots, and COVID protocols add an additional layer. We maintain an open line of communication with all the guilds, including SAG-AFTRA. There were never any formal inquiries raised.”

However, it did next to nothing to dispel the allegations and rumors since Barbie Ferreira walked off the show. Sources close to The Daily Beast confirmed her having a rift with the director on Euphoria‘s set, which resulted in her storming off the set and Sam Levinson cutting her screentime down significantly. That, in addition to the horrible condition on set, apparently made her walk out, although she has yet to comment on it publicly. 

Euphoria is available to stream on Amazon Prime Videos.