The new season of Euphoria continues to cause controversy, with fans sharing their horror at a Zendaya scene that has gone viral.
The show has long been known for ruffling feathers and raising eyebrows, but many are asking if the latest instalment, which came out in the UK today (April 13), has gone a step too far.
It follows the uproar after Sydney Sweeney's character was seen cosplaying as a baby, with pigtails in her hair and sucking a dummy while working as an adult content creator.
Viewers have slammed Euphoria and the director, Sam Levinson, for the inclusion of the scene... but that's not all.
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There's now another starring Zendaya and Chloe Cherry, which has also caused upset.
Zendaya's character, Rue, and Cherry's character, Faye, are shown graphically struggling to swallow wrappers of fentanyl and cocaine while working as drug mules in an attempt to pay off Rue's debt to drug dealer Laurie.
The stomach-churning scenes leave nothing to the imagination, with both actors gagging, drooling, forcing their fingers down their throats and visibly in distress and discomfort as they try to swallow the illicit drugs down.
"This has no other explanation except for that... director Sam Levinson's fetish," wrote one viewer under a clip of the scene.
A second slammed: "Literally the first thing I thought when I saw that scene bc it makes absolutely no sense, all that noise, drool and the zooms he did on them, total disgust with this Sam Levinson."
However, one fan said that disgust was the point for this scene, as it was meant to show how horrific drug trafficking and addiction really is in reality.
They wrote: "The series is showing reality, and it was painful to watch," claiming anyone that saw anything sexual or salacious about it was the real problem.
Another asked: "My God, what did you think when you saw that scene? I thought I was watching a scene showing how people struggle to swallow drugs when they decide to become mules."
Meanwhile, one confused viewer asked: "I don't watch it, but wasn't that series about high school teens with their lives, so why do two girls end up swallowing bags of cocaine like mules?"
"I skipped this scene, I can't take it, such disgust," confessed someone else, as another complained: "I'm still feeling sick even now with the urge to vomit and a sensation of swallowing something strange."
Cherry told Metro how Levinson specifically asked her to make the scene as 'disgusting' as possible, so the audience reaction is what he was going for.
She recalled how the director approached her and said: "I need this scene to really show how disgusting it would actually be if you were to swallow balloons filled with fentanyl and how disgusted you would actually be."
"He was like, 'I really, really, really, really, really need you to turn the disgust up in this scene,' and I was like, all right, I’m gonna give it a go," the star confessed.
Cherry said she managed to do it so well that she received a round of applause for the scene.
LADbible Group has contacted representatives of Levinson for comment.
Where to watch Euphoria season 3 in the UK
For UK viewers, the first episode of Euphoria season 3 premiered on HBO Max on 13 April at 2am, with episodes streaming weekly until the finale on 1 June.
It will also air on Sky Atlantic and be available via NOW, as with previous seasons.
If you want friendly, confidential advice about drugs, you can talk to FRANK. You can call 0300 123 6600, text 82111 or contact through their website 24/7, or livechat from 2pm-6pm any day of the week.
Topics: Drugs, Euphoria, Zendaya, TV and Film
Jen Thomas