Sam Levinson says he deliberately took a “fairly critical look” at OnlyFans culture on the final season of Euphoria, arguing the show examines the long-term consequences of fast money and external validation—even as some creators and former OnlyFans stars crit
When the final season of Euphoria brought Cassie into OnlyFans, the backlash didn’t arrive quietly. It came with pointed outrage from creators who felt the series leaned on stereotypes about their work—and with questions about whether the show’s portrayal could ever be seen as empowering.
Sam Levinson, the creator of the HBO series, addressed the criticism on Real Time with Bill Maher. He said he didn’t set out to “affirm this life and how empowering” it can. Instead, he described the approach as “fairly critical.”
Levinson pointed to what OnlyFans represents economically. “If you look at OnlyFans, it is making as much money as Hollywood. I mean, essentially it’s on par,” he said. “It’s not a niche business. it is a massive enterprise.” From there. he argued it’s easy for young people to see a shortcut—“Well. maybe I can just start taking photos of myself.”.
But the question, Levinson said, is what happens next. “The question is, what are the long-term consequences of that?. What happens when you know. as a young person. you’re on Instagram and these things. and you’re told that you’re the product. you’re the brand. and now you’re 18 years old. ” he continued. “You’re going well. ‘How do I make money?’ And I just thought chasing that desire. that kind of fast cash. was an interesting thing to kind of explore.”.
He also tied the show’s reception to its tone. Levinson said that while the series “caught a lot of criticism for it. ” he sometimes wonders what the reaction would have been if Euphoria had gone the other direction. “There’s a part of me that wonders. if the show kind of affirmed this life and how empowering it was. whether we would get the same criticism.”.
His response was blunt about the emotional cost he wanted the series to show: “It hollows out the individual. You know, you’re constantly just depending on the likes and external validation.”
Levinson’s defense wasn’t only about money or attention. He also weighed the show’s depiction of who runs the space. When Maher praised Cassie’s frenemy/manager Maddy (played by Alexa Demie) as the season’s “moral center. ” Levinson said Maddy’s role reflected “a new” kind of industry. “She was managing the girls, which is an all new industry. It’s sort of light pimping.”.
In the third and final season of Euphoria. Cassie (played by Sydney Sweeney) joins OnlyFans as part of how she covers her $50. 000 wedding to Nate (played by Jacob Elordi). The storyline drew especially sharp criticism from OnlyFans creators who said the portrayal used harmful stereotypes about their field.
One scene became a focal point for anger: Cassie posing spread-eagle in a diaper with a pacifier in her mouth. Many creators have pointed out that age-play is strictly forbidden on the platform.
Chloe Cherry—an adult film actress and OnlyFans star herself before she began playing Faye Valentine in Season 2 of Euphoria—called Cassie’s arc “crazy as fuck. ” stressing that Cassie comes from a privileged background. Cherry said it’s hard to measure whether Cassie would have gained real power through the choice. but added that Cassie’s attractiveness likely would translate into high earnings. “It’s really hard to say if it would give her any power. Obviously Cassie is extremely attractive, so it probably would lead to her making a lot of money.”.
Still, Cherry said the emotional message landed badly. “But it just feels crazy as fuck to see somebody living like Cassie turn to sex work. It’s like, holy shit, that’s where we’re at in society?. I really think that OnlyFans is a crazy. weird phenomenon of the 2020s that we will look back on and be very confused by.”.
Cherry went further, arguing that the mainstream shift toward sex work isn’t rooted in empowerment narratives. She said sex work is being embraced only because “of capitalism and the economy getting worse,” adding: “it has nothing to do with empowerment or power or anything.”
Levinson’s defense frames Euphoria’s OnlyFans story as a caution about fast cash. being sold as a “product. ” and the long-term consequences of living for likes. For critics inside the industry. the same scenes feel like stigma wrapped in drama—especially when they include depictions that violate platform rules. The argument, now, isn’t just about whether Cassie’s journey is believable. It’s about what the show is asking viewers to take away from a business that has become. for many. impossible to ignore.
Sam Levinson Euphoria OnlyFans HBO Bill Maher Cassie Sydney Sweeney Alexa Demie Maddy Chloe Cherry Faye Valentine Nate Jacob Elordi criticism stereotypes age-play Instagram