‘Euphoria’ newcomer shuts down Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney rift rumors

Euphoria star Jessica Blair Herman officially dismissed long-standing rumours of a feud among the cast, insisting that the atmosphere on the set of the hit HBO show was actually pure bliss. 

During an interview on the April 27 episode of Good Day NY, the actress, who joined the cast for season 3, told host Rosanna Scotto that the actors genuinely got along and were focused on creating a professional environment.

She was particularly keen to shut down talk of a rift between the show’s biggest stars, Zendaya and Sydney Sweeney, stating firmly that there was “no drama” and that everyone was simply there to do the job.

Herman, who played the judgmental neighbour to Sydney Sweeney and Jacob Elordi’s characters, explained that the perceived distance between some cast members likely comes down to the way the show is filmed rather than any personal animosity.  She admitted that Zendaya’s Rue and Sweeney’s Cassie don’t actually share many scenes, meaning their storylines are quite separate and they often shoot on entirely different days.

According to Herman, the cast built a “beautiful working relationship” despite the fact that they aren’t always physically on set together at the same time. The actress had nothing but praise for her own experience working with Sweeney, describing her as a “real artist” who is both generous and vulnerable as a performer.

Even when filming the more difficult and intense scenes that Euphoria is known for, Herman noted that she felt a beautiful and open heart from her co-star.  She also called working with the show’s creator, Sam Levinson, a “dream come true,” painting a picture of a set that was far more harmonious than the internet gossip would suggest.

However, this positive update stood in stark contrast to the recent and very public departure of the show’s composer, Labrinth. The Emmy winner announced his exit in March and later took to social media to vent his frustrations with the creative team.

In a series of candid Instagram posts, Labrinth claimed that people in the industry “comfortably lie” and stated that he chose to remove his music because he refused to let people treat him poorly.

While he noted that he remained on good terms with HBO, he made it clear that while a director’s vision is paramount, he wouldn’t compromise his own self-respect to stay on the project.