Summary
- Sydney Sweeney was absent from a group BTS photo in HBO’s Euphoria Season 3 teaser, instantly reigniting feud rumors with co-star Zendaya
- The alleged feud traces back to a November 2025 Daily Mail report claiming political differences between the two actresses fueled real on-set tension
- Both TMZ and Page Six have since debunked the rumors, with production sources confirming Sweeney was simply filming a scene elsewhere on set
The internet has once again decided that Sydney Sweeney and Zendaya are mortal enemies, and once again, sources are telling everyone to calm down.
It started, as most modern celebrity panics do, with a single clip. HBO Max dropped a behind-the-scenes teaser on Wednesday for Euphoria Season 3 — premiering April 12, in case you’ve been living under a rock — and it showed Zendaya, Hunter Schafer, Alexa Demie, and Maude Apatow goofing around and laughing together for what looked like a cast photoshoot. Cute! Fun! A girlies-being-girlies moment! Except Sydney Sweeney wasn’t in it.
That was all the internet needed. Within hours, the feud rumors were back in full force, with fans and influencers alike confidently declaring that Zendaya had effectively exiled Sweeney from the group photo — and possibly from the press tour entirely. Several users took a dig at the first shot in which Sweeney was missing. One viral tweet read, “lmao zendaya really said i will NOT be in any promo with the blond maga.”
Dramatic. Very dramatic. And also, apparently, wrong.
A production source with direct knowledge tells TMZ that the BTS video and snap of Zendaya, Hunter Schafer, Alexa Demie, and Maude Apatow posing while they goofed around happened while Sweeney was off shooting a scene of the series. Her absence had nothing to do with any alleged feud, and it was not a promotional photo — strictly behind-the-scenes action. Page Six backed this up, confirming the omission was “not related to ongoing feud speculation.” TMZ, never one to mince words, called the whole thing “BS.”
For what it’s worth, Sweeney does appear in the teaser — just separately, in a solo close-up shot later in the video. But why let facts get in the way of a good discourse spiral?
Here’s the thing: the feud rumors didn’t come from nowhere. The Daily Mail reported in November 2025 that the actresses were engaged in a feud stemming from differing political views, with claims that Zendaya refused to do press with Sweeney and that the two avoided standing near each other at events. Sweeney, a registered Republican, has faced significant online criticism and earned the charming nickname “MAGA Barbie.” A source reportedly told the Daily Mail at the time, “It’s a difficult position for Zendaya to be in because if she even stands next to Sydney on the red carpet, it can be read as her excusing Sydney’s views on Trump and her refusal to apologise for the racist ad.”
That “racist ad” refers to an American Eagle campaign Sweeney starred in that faced backlash over apparent white supremacist undertones — a controversy that earned her no shortage of criticism online and, according to those same reports, friction behind the scenes.
Featuring: American actress and producer Sydney Sweeney
Where: Los Angeles, California, United States
When: 03 Aug 2025
Credit: Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/Abaca Press/INSTARimages
**NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
Insiders had alleged last November that Zendaya and her co-stars were not happy with the Anyone But You star over the controversial American Eagle ad.
Sweeney, for her part, addressed the ongoing political labeling in a January interview with Cosmopolitan. She stated, “I’ve never been here to talk about politics. I’ve always been here to make art,” adding, “I just have to continue being who I am, because I know who I am.”
Neither HBO, nor Zendaya’s team, nor Sweeney’s representatives have directly commented on any of the feud speculation — which is, honestly, a PR strategy in itself.
What makes this whole saga particularly delicious is just how much has changed since Euphoria first premiered in 2019. When the series began, Zendaya was the only household name. Now, Jacob Elordi is nominated for an Oscar, and Sydney is one of the most famous people on the planet. Two massive stars, one show, and a deeply polarized cultural moment. Of course, the internet manufactured a feud.
The show returns April 12 on HBO Max. Whether Zendaya and Sweeney will appear on the same press junket stage remains to be seen. Until then, expect every solo interview, every red carpet arrival, and every group photo — or lack thereof — to be dissected for signs of beef.
