Sam Levinson is standing by Euphoria’s portrayal of OnlyFans, even after the show drew criticism for how it handled creators and sex work. On Real Time with Bill Maher, the HBO creator said he took a “fairly critical look” at the platform because he wanted to examine its long-term consequences.
Levinson argued that OnlyFans is no longer a niche corner of the internet. As he told Maher, it is making “as much money as Hollywood” and has become a massive business that can look like an easy path for young people chasing fast cash.
Why Levinson Focused On The Risks
He said the appeal is easy to understand for someone who does not want a traditional 9-to-5 job and may see self-promotion on Instagram as a route to income. But he framed that as part of the problem, asking what happens when young people are told they are both the product and the brand.
For Levinson, that pressure to monetize identity was central to the story. He said he was interested in exploring what it means to chase that kind of money at 18, and what the long-term effects might be.
He also suggested that a more openly affirming version of the story might have drawn a different reaction. Levinson said the show took a critical approach because it “hollows out the individual” and leaves people dependent on likes and external validation.
How Euphoria Portrayed Cassie’s Arc
In the third and final season of Euphoria, Cassie, played by Sydney Sweeney, joins OnlyFans to help pay for her $50,000 wedding to Nate, played by Jacob Elordi. The storyline put the platform at the center of one of the show’s most debated plotlines.
That depiction upset many OnlyFans creators, who objected to the stereotypes used in the series. One scene in particular showed Cassie posing spread-eagle in a diaper with a pacifier in her mouth, a detail that drew backlash because age-play is strictly forbidden on the platform.
Levinson also described Maddy, played by Alexa Demie, as the season’s “moral center” while noting that she was managing the girls in a way he called “light pimping.”
What Chloe Cherry Said About The Storyline
Chloe Cherry, who had worked as an adult film actress and OnlyFans star before joining Euphoria as Faye Valentine in Season 2, also pushed back on the arc. She called Cassie’s storyline “crazy as fuck,” given the character’s privileged life.
Cherry said it was hard to know whether the platform would give Cassie any power, though she acknowledged that the character’s looks would likely help her make money. Still, she said the move from that level of privilege into sex work felt shocking and reflected how strange OnlyFans has become as a 2020s phenomenon.
She added that sex work is being embraced by the mainstream “only because of capitalism and the economy getting worse,” arguing that it has “nothing to do with empowerment or power or anything.”