Sunday’s episode of HBO Max’s “Euphoria” left viewers slack-jawed and deeply troubled by Zendaya’s character, Rue’s descent into delirium during a period of withdrawal.
The actress responded to D.A.R.E.’s accusations the show glorifies drug use.
“Our show is in no way a moral tale to teach people how to live their life or what they should be doing,” Zendaya said to Entertainment Weekly. “If anything, the feeling behind Euphoria, or whatever we have always been trying to do with it, is to hopefully help people feel a little bit less alone in their experience and their pain. And maybe feel like they’re not the only one going through or dealing with what they’re dealing with.”
The series centers on Rue and her battles with addiction. The show isn’t always an easy watch. And as glamorous as Zendaya may be in real life, Rue is anything but.
“Rather than further each parent’s desire to keep their children safe from the potentially horrific consequences of drug abuse and other high-risk behavior, HBO’s television drama, Euphoria, chooses to misguidedly glorify and erroneously depict high school student drug use, addiction, anonymous sex, violence, and other destructive behaviors as common and widespread in today’s world,” said a rep for the organization, which has long provided substance abuse prevention education.
The rep continued, “It is unfortunate that HBO, social media, television program reviewers, and paid advertising have chosen to refer to the show as ‘groundbreaking’ rather than recognizing the potential negative consequences on school-age children who today face unparalleled risks and mental health challenges.”
Zendaya made sure to let viewers know that things would get better for Rue.
“We can’t leave her here,” she said of her character. “It’s really important that there’s light at the end of the tunnel for her, because I think she has a lot of beauty inside of her. Whether or not she quite sees that yet, is her own thing.”
“I’ve had a lot of people reach out and find so many parallels from all ages, all walks of life,” she adds. “So many parallels with Rue and her story and Rue means a lot to them in a way that I can understand, but also maybe in a way that I could never understand, and that means that means the most to all of us.”
Last week, the network announced the show had been greenlit for a third season.
“Sam, Zendaya, and the entire cast and crew of EUPHORIA have taken Season 2 to extraordinary heights, challenging narrative convention and form, while maintaining its heart,” Francesca Orsi, Executive Vice President, HBO Programming, said in a statement. “We couldn’t be more honored to work with this gifted, wildly talented team or more excited to continue our journey with them into Season 3. “
