Sydney Sweeney has reignited speculation about a possible rift with Zendaya after noticeably leaving out her “Euphoria” co-star in a collection of photos from the show’s third season.
After the season finale aired on Sunday, Sweeney shared a series of behind-the-scenes images on Instagram, spotlighting several of her fellow stars from the popular HBO series.
The photos showcased Sweeney with cast members such as Jacob Elordi, Alexa Demie, and Maude Apatow. She even included a picture featuring the late Eric Dane. However, Zendaya’s absence was strikingly apparent.
In her caption, Sweeney wrote, “it’s called… acting,” seemingly addressing those who have critiqued her provocative portrayal of Cassie Howard.
While many fans took to the comments to applaud Sweeney’s performance, some couldn’t help but notice and comment on Zendaya’s exclusion from the photo set.
“there’s no photo in this slideshow w zendaya im confused …” one wrote.
“Zendaya doesn’t like [Sweeney] because of her values,” another fan theorized.
But others argued that Sweeney and Zendaya — who played Rue Bennett — “barely had any scenes together” and that’s why they didn’t have any behind-the-scenes pics.
In November 2025, the Daily Mail reported that Sweeney and Zendaya were “locked in a bitter feud” that stemmed from their differing political views.
Sweeney is a registered Republican voter and caused controversy with her American Eagle denim campaign that some critics accused of being Nazi propaganda with racist undertones.
According to the outlet, Zendaya refused to do press with Sweeney for “Euphoria” Season 3 and the two allegedly refused to stand next to each other at events.
When Sweeney was missing from a “Euphoria” cast photoshoot back in March, this added more fuel to the rumors. However, Page Six was told the shoot in question was filmed during production when Sweeney happened to be shooting a scene, which is why she is not included in the video.
But the following month, the ladies appeared to avoid each other at the season premiere — which allegedly came as no surprise to some of their colleagues.
“‘Euphoria’ bosses are all too aware the pair do not get along. There were tensions way back … Their paths barely crossed during the making of Season 3,” an insider alleged to the Sun.
“During the press tour, any interactions between the pair are being kept to a minimum to avoid any awkward encounters on camera. There is a complete ban on journalists asking about tensions between Zendaya and Sydney.”
According to the source, their dispute stemmed from Sweeney having “the hots” for Tom Holland and being “flirty with him” when he came to set.
“That did not go down well with Zendaya. They have not really hung out socially since then,” they claimed.
The insider also noted, “It’s a bit of a headache because Zendaya doesn’t want to be associated with a Trump supporter.”
Later that month, “Euphoria” cast member Jessica Blair Herman shut down the feud rumors between Zendaya and Sweeney, insisting that everyone on set got along.
“They really did, and I’m not just saying that,” she said on “Good Day New York.”
“Really, they’ve created this beautiful working relationship and everyone wants to do the work, to come in and do the job.”
Either way, the two stars might not have to work together again as the Season 3 finale appears to have been the HBO show’s end.