Sydney Sweeney Clarifies Comment Involving ‘Euphoria’ Showrunner Sam Levinson and Nude Scenes That ‘Got Twisted’

Sydney Sweeney is clearing up some comments she feels “got twisted.”

In her new Teen Vogue cover story, the Euphoria star says she “never asked” showrunner Sam Levinson to “cut any scenes.” Back in January, Sweeney told the Independent there were scenes where her character, Cassie, “was supposed to be shirtless and I would tell Sam, ‘I don’t really think that’s necessary here’ and he was like, ‘OK, we don’t need it.’”

But now, Sweeney explains that her comments “got twisted and turned and it became its own beast.”

“It was more how respectful Sam is and how incredible of a director he is, that he would never make me do something I didn’t feel comfortable with,” Sweeney said. “I think [nudity is] important to the storyline and the character. There’s a purpose to what that character is going through. That’s the character. We all get naked in real life. We show this character’s life and what they’re going through. Cassie’s body is a different form of communication for her.”

Fellow Euphoria star Minka Kelly previously opened up about how she pushed back on a potential nude scene during her first day of filming. She said in an interview with Vanity Fair that Levinson “thought it would be more interesting if my dress fell to the ground,” but that she “didn’t feel comfortable standing there naked.”

“I said, ‘I’d love to do this scene, but I think we can keep my dress on.’ He was like, ‘OK!’ He didn’t even hesitate,” Kelly recalls. “And he shot a beautiful scene and got exactly what he wanted.”

HBO issued a statement this year regarding rumors of a toxic work environment on the set, sharing that it maintains “an open line of communication with all the guilds, including SAG-AFTRA” and that “there were never any formal inquiries raised.” The statement followed the Daily Beast reporting there was a rift between Levinson and actress Barbie Ferreira, who has since said she’s “seen so many different things and a lot of it is untrue and some of it’s kind of like mundane little things” in regards to the show’s news cycle.