Sydney Sweeney warned she’s ‘risking her career’ after explicit Euphoria scene with Homer Gere

All eyes are on Sydney Sweeney and Homer Gere after their explicit scene in Euphoria season three episode seven, but PR experts have warned that the Cassie star may be putting her career at risk. 

Sweeney is no stranger to controversy, whether that be selling her bathwater as part of a viral stunt or being accused of promoting eugenics in her famous American Eagle ad.

On screen, the star reprises her most infamous role in Euphoria’s third chapter. Although she’s spoken in the past about working with Sam Levinson to reduce the amount of nudity for her character, season three has arguably done the opposite. 

So far, we’ve seen Cassie in a drug-fuelled threesome, as a giantess (whose nipples break through glass), doing her best bridezilla impression, and most controversial of all, dressing up as an “adult baby” for her OF followers (which has drawn criticism from real sex workers).

Some fans have said the third chapter is one long “humiliation ritual”, and this week’s episode was no different. It unfolds when Maddy (Alexa Demie) organises a meetup between Cassie and Gere’s Dylan Reid.

The plan is to hook up with him to boost her followers after she deleted her OnlyFans account. When they get to it, the pair are so aggressive that they break the bed and knock a painting off the wall, with a topless Cassie screaming at the top of her lungs. 

PR experts warn Sydney Sweeney risks becoming ‘one-dimensional’

Now, a series of public relations specialists have weighed in, suggesting Sweeney’s increasingly provocative public image combined with the direction of Cassie’s storyline in Euphoria season three could impact her career long term. 

Speaking to Fox News, crisis and reputation management expert Dave Quast said, “Euphoria clearly helped establish Sydney Sweeney as a fearless performer, physically and emotionally, and that’s part of why she broke through. 

“The risk is that when the public conversation focuses more on the sexualised aspects of the role than on the performance, the same work that made her seem daring can start to narrow the brand.”

“Sexuality on screen is not inherently unserious. The problem is when it becomes the dominant shorthand for the actor,” he added. 

“For Sweeney, the challenge is not that she has played sexualised roles. The challenge is making sure those roles continue to read as character choices, not as the entire brand proposition.”

From a financial perspective, Sweeney continuing to dominate headlines is a positive thing – right now, she has a reported net worth of $40million. And she’s certainly garnering attention for Euphoria season three. 

This show feels more like a humiliation ritual for MAGA poster girl Sydney Sweeney than entertainment

— Stella ☆ (@SthormyStar) May 25, 2026

As one fan wrote in response to the Dylan sex scene, “This show feels more like a humiliation ritual for MAGA poster girl Sydney Sweeney than entertainment.”

Quast added, “Visibility is currency, and Sweeney has become one of the rare young actresses who can reliably generate conversation around almost anything she does. That has real commercial value.”

But this could negatively impact how she’s seen in the industry further down the line, said Kelcey Kintner, senior vice president at crisis PR firm Red Banyan.

She told the outlet, “The price comes if the attention starts to feel one-dimensional. If every headline is about her body, the showy scenes, or how provocative the role is, that can make it harder for the public to actually focus on and see her talent. 

“I do think she is trying to make that effort to find balance in her career and grow as an actress.”

Sweeney’s public image is becoming increasingly polarising

Kintner added, “Sexualisation can create instant attention, and in today’s media environment, attention is money… But it does not always build the kind of respect or longevity an actor wants.”

The issue is that Sweeney has ventured into more serious roles, but her recent films such as Christy, Americana, and Eden have all been box office flops. 

Quast also addressed the off-screen controversies surrounding Sweeney over the past couple of years. “Euphoria created one perception of her, but the broader cultural conversation has created another,” he added. 

“Some audiences have been eager to read her as a conservative-coded alternative to more progressive celebrity branding, and she has not exactly discouraged that interpretation. 

“That’s risky, because once an actor becomes associated with a polarising cultural argument, the work itself can get overshadowed. From a reputation standpoint, the challenge is not to let the cultural symbolism overtake the acting.”

“If the audience talks about Cassie’s psychology, Sweeney benefits as an actress. If the audience only talks about the sexualised aspects of the role, the brand narrows,” Quast continued.

“That’s why her next few choices matter. She doesn’t need to run away from sexuality, but she does need to keep pairing it with roles that are emotionally, intellectually or dramatically specific.”

Kintner concluded, “For Sydney, Euphoria made people pay attention. The question is whether she can refocus that attention back to her talent and build a long-term, sustainable career in Hollywood.”

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Featured image credit: HBO