The post that set the internet ablaze
As Euphoria bowed out after three seasons this week, Sydney Sweeney took to Instagram to mark the end of an era with a carousel of behind-the-scenes photographs from the final series. The 28-year-old actress included snaps alongside co-stars Jacob Elordi, Maude Apatow, Rosalía and Anna Vanpatten, captioning the post with a pointed: "It's called… acting." Sweet enough — until fans noticed who was missing. Not a single picture featured Zendaya, the show's lead and the actress at the very heart of Euphoria from day one.
Fans were not slow to notice
The omission sent social media into a frenzy almost immediately, with viewers flooding the comments to point out the glaring gap. "Not one picture with Rue — I'm crine, Zendaya do NOT like you," wrote one fan, while another simply asked: "No pics with Zen?" A fourth commenter put it most bluntly of all: "Not one picture of the star of the entire series… Zendaya? Interesting."
"There were tensions way back. It was an open secret that Sydney had the hots for Tom and was flirty with him when he would come to set. That did not go down well with Zendaya. They have not really hung out socially since then."
A rumoured rivalry with a longer history
This is far from the first time whispers of a rift between the two actresses have surfaced. Sydney had previously been spotted liking posts on X describing Zendaya's partner Tom Holland as "hot", which sent fan theories into overdrive. The pair were also seen arriving separately to the Euphoria premiere, with Zendaya turning up a full hour after Sydney. Neither posed together for photographs, and Zendaya left the event early. Whether there is any real animosity between them, or simply two very busy women who move in different circles, remains very much up for debate.
A devastating ending for Rue — and for fans
Whatever is happening off screen, the on-screen farewell for Zendaya's character Rue was nothing short of harrowing. The show's shocking finale saw Rue killed off after drug lord Alamo, played by Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, laced her painkillers with fentanyl, causing her to fatally overdose. Fans were left devastated, with one writing: "Didn't want this ending for Rue at all. She deserved so so much better. I genuinely cannot stop crying — this isn't fair." HBO has confirmed the series will not return for a fourth season, making this the definitive end for a show that defined a generation of television.
