HBO Addresses Toxic Workplace Allegations on the Euphoria Set
Euphoria, HBO’s hit teen drama, is facing allegations of a toxic work environment.
HBO released the following statement in response to the claims, “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.”
Zendaya shares a video behind the scenes of filming Euphoria, episode 5 on Instagram Stories. pic.twitter.com/Qb6DJLL0JI
— Zendaya Updates (@Zendaya_Updated) February 7, 2022
Rumors swirled surrounding the working relationship between Barbie Ferreira (Kat) and showrunner Sam Levinson. Ferreira was reportedly displeased by the direction Levinson was taking her character, leading her to walk off of the set. Her character’s screentime was noticeably shorter than the prior season, leading fans to question the shift. Kat was the subject of an episode in season one.
25.11 | Euphoria S02 has wrapped filming after 9 months of shooting 💜 (April 5th 2021 – November 24th 2021)!
— Euphoria Source (@EuphoriaSource) November 25, 2021
*In the middle of a pandemic, amid a fight from TV/Film crew members for their rights, long days of work etc. A round of applause? A round of applause pic.twitter.com/5MQjy4zOFP
The production aspect of the show was also a point of discussion, with sources reporting that days on set could last between 15 and 17 hours. Maude Apatow (Lexi) discussed filming the New Year’s Eve episode, stating, “We shot [the New Year’s Eve party scene] all night, so we would start at 6 pm and go until whenever the sun would rise—5 am—and we were so tired!… We were trying so hard to stay awake!” Levinson also would reportedly come to set lacking a shot list of what he wanted to film that day, contributing to the extended hours.
Javon Walton, who plays Ashtray in Euphoria, reveals that Fez was the one that was supposed to die in the Season 2 finale but the script was changed a day before filming. pic.twitter.com/8lq1infzBL
— Pop Base (@PopBase) March 1, 2022
Euphoria was recently renewed for a third season, with Levinson continuing to helm the show.
