Resurfaced Zendaya interview makes Sam Levinson’s Euphoria ending even more disgusting

Amongst the general criticisms of Euphoria’s ending – and trust me, there have been many – a lot of people were angry about how Sam Levinson dealt with Rue’s ending.

Referencing the end of season two, one person said on Twitter: “I loved how hopeful this ending was for Rue, and I honestly think it would’ve been so much better if Euphoria ended after s2. We wouldn’t know Rue’s fate after that. Only that she was trying to be a better person.”

The ending of season finale hits hard without rue#Euphoria pic.twitter.com/DyejhDK6F0

— sanmeyo (@oyemnassxo) June 1, 2026

“The category is: Female protagonists who carried the entire show and somehow still got the worst ending,” another person said, using Eleven in Stranger Things and Dani in Game of Thrones as examples.

Largely, the backlash centres around Rue’s death by way of fentanyl-laced pills and the fact that it feels just soooo bleak.

“It felt like an honest ending,” Euphoria’s controversial creator, Sam Levinson, said. “I thought, you can’t tell a story about addiction today without the very real consequences. Most people don’t get a second chance. Fentanyl can just take you out in an instant.”

“the honest ending is people like rue don’t make it”…..sam i hate u i really do

— cay (@koralinadean) June 1, 2026

In her eternal wisdom, Zendaya had a completely different ending for Rue in Euphoria.

Rue’s ending in Euphoria could have been so much better

Sam Levinson’s ending for Rue hinged on the idea that people need to be told that drugs are dangerous. Shocker, most people are painfully aware of the effect narcotics can have on people’s lives. And we’re more than used to seeing it on screen, whether that be in big blockbusters or TV shows.

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In an interview from before filming for season three started, Zendaya talked about her ideal ending. It was starkly different to Sam’s, and undoubtedly better.

She explained: “I want… to get to the end, and still have hope for her future and watch her make the changes and steps to heal and humanise her sobriety journey and her addiction.

lembrei dessa entrevista da zendaya em 2022 e ela sempre demonstrou o quanto esperava uma história de superação para a rue e que pudesse ser uma mensagem de esperança para pessoas passando pelo mesmo… bem nítido o porquê dela ter ignorado a divulgação dessa temporada nova pic.twitter.com/47OuANPZkJ

— ana (@esterscline) June 1, 2026

“Then maybe [viewers] can extend that to people in real life. If you can love her, than you can love someone you know who is struggling with the same thing, and maybe have a greater understanding for the pain that they’re facing, that is often out of their control.

“For me, that is the most important thing, and I care about her deeply and I also care about the people who care about her. Many of them share her story of addiction and sobriety, many of them share her emotional disorders and I think it’s important that we continue to have that love for her.”

All in all, it would have made for a more satisfying ending; proof that situations like Rue’s don’t always have to end up in heartbreak and disaster.

The clip went viral after the conclusion of season three, with one person reacting: “Exactly! Zendaya was always fighting for a happy ending for Rue. Always when promoting the show, since the pilot aired till 2023, she wished Rue would give hope to people in the end. I also believe this is a part of why Zendaya didn’t do any promo for this season.”

“And the literal lead actress is like I wanted this role to give ppl struggling with addictions hope and that there is redemption available,” someone else said.

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Featured image credit: HBO