Sydney Sweeney’s OnlyFans 'Euphoria' story line slammed by 'sex workers' for 'perpetuating stereotypes'

In the latest season of the HBO series "Euphoria," Sydney Sweeney’s character Cassie launches an OnlyFans to make money. But that story line has drawn criticism from OnlyFans creators who say Cassie's account is doing harm to the "sex work" industry.

She is seen wearing a number of outfits for her digital screen appearances, including a dog outfit with a collar and leash, and a baby outfit with pigtails and a rattle in her mouth. The portrayal has upset some actual OnlyFans creators, who argue the content misrepresents how the industry works.

“There’s just a lot that’s ridiculous and cartoonish about it,” OnlyFans creator Sydney Leathers told Variety. “There’s so much that they have her doing that is not even allowed on OnlyFans, and that alone is infuriating: the age-play stuff where she’s dressed as a baby in a diaper, for example. Credit card processors have very strict rules that you have to abide by, and the rules are getting stricter all the time.”

Another creator, Maitland Ward, who previously starred in the sitcom “Boy Meets World” before transitioning to adult content, also critizied the storyline.

“In the climate we’re in, that they dressed her up as a baby to make pornographic OnlyFans content was beyond troubling and again serves to perpetuate stereotypes that sex workers have no moral compass and that they will do anything for money,” Ward explained. “And there’s always this untrue stigma that somehow sex work is synonymous with sex trafficking and abuse. And they just said, let’s make a joke of it. That is so funny. I’m not laughing.”

The show’s creator, Sam Levinson, discussed the storyline with The Hollywood Reporter, explaining the intention behind the scene.

“[Cassie] has got her dog house and her little dog ears and the nose, and that has its own humor, but what makes the scene is the fact that her housekeeper is the one filming it,” Levinson said. “What we wanted to always find is the other layer of absurdity that we’re able to tie into it so that we’re not too inside of her fantasy or illusion — the gag is to jump out, to break the wall.”

“Some of these scenes we only lit with these ring lights that she would use,” he continued. “When you’re inside, it’s a beautiful, glowing front light, but then you jump out of it and it’s just a pool of light and everything surrounding it is dark. It’s just gnarly and jarring… We wanted to capture what she’s trying to show the audience and be inside of it, but then also pull back wider and see how depressing it is.”