Zendaya fires back at Sam Levinson after he blames her for 'Euphoria' Season 3 delay: 'I've been waiting'
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: As 'Euphoria' fans continue their lengthy wait for Season 3, Zendaya has stepped up to set the record straight after Sam Levinson reportedly pointed fingers at her as the reason for the delay in production.
The actress recently addressed his claim, making it clear—it’s not her and that Season 3 is “slated for January."
Zendaya speaks out after being being blamed by Sam Levinson
A source close to Sam Levinson told The Hollywood Reporter in July that he felt it was Zendaya who was “dragging her feet” on production of Season 3, given her booming career outside the series.
The source dished, “It was all about her. Everybody wanted to make it about Sam, but it was her.” But, Zendaya wasn't having it. In Vanity Fair’s latest Hollywood issue, Zendaya addressed the allegations head-on.
She made it clear that she is ready to film, even clarifying that her schedule has been wide open. "I will say, I have been off for a couple years, so not delayed because of my [schedule]… I’ve been open, just waiting," she said.
The actress pointed out that her two major movie releases this year, 'Dune: Part Two' and 'Challengers,' were actually filmed back in 2022.
So while she was busy promoting them in 2023, her schedule was completely clear for 'Euphoria.' In fact, she’s been away from set for so long that she’s feeling “rusty." “I’m rusty. I haven’t been on a set in, like, two years almost. I’m a little bit terrified. I’m like, Can I even do this anymore? I don’t know,” she said.
The roadblocks to 'Euphoria’s return
A lot has stalled the return of 'Euphoria', HBO’s gritty teen drama. In the nearly three years since Season 2 aired, the show has faced a series of setbacks.
The sudden passing of cast member Angus Cloud in 2023, cast relationship drama like Hunter Schafer and Dominic Fike’s breakup, backlash against creator Sam Levinson, and even actors claiming financial strain due to long production pauses have all added to the chaos surrounding Season 3.
Moreover the death of producer Kevin Turen, a longtime friend of Levison also derailed the HBO hit, as per The Hollywood Reporter.
Levinson was notably absent from Turen’s funeral after cutting ties with him earlier this year, a split that stunned their shared network.
Despite the split, Levinson aided Turen in securing a favorable settlement after losing their production partnership and his HBO deal.
The Turen family barred Levinson and his wife, Ashley, from attending, but Levinson’s agent and A24 covered funeral expenses, with HBO hosting the reception, catered by Katsuya in honor of Turen's love of sushi.
What’s next for Rue Bennett and 'Euphoria'?
As of now, Zendaya said that 'Euphoria' Season 3 is “slated for January, I believe.”
She’s still waiting on scripts but expressed excitement to see where her character, Rue Bennett, will go next.
“I haven’t read anything yet, but I’m excited to see what everyone has been working on, and what the future looks like for 'Euphoria',” she revealed.
"I don’t really have much of an answer except for right now it’s set to start shooting in January," she added.
“My most important thing is to do justice by the people who love and care about Rue, and make sure that she’s looked after as a character. I think that’s my number one duty," she noted.
Interestingly, reports from July claimed another reason for the delay was Zendaya rejecting multiple storylines for Rue.
HBO chief Casey Bloys confirmed earlier this week that 'Euphoria' Season 3 is set to begin filming in January, addressing recent social media rumors suggesting otherwise.
“Somebody said something online and then this whole thing started. We are shooting the season, I have read the scripts, we’re happy, we’re moving ahead,” Bloys said, as per Deadline.
“I know the show gets a lot of attention now because it has created some genuine movie stars, and they have various projects that they’re working on. But we are shooting this season, so nothing has changed," Bloys added.
