Zendaya claps back at accusations that Euphoria is "glorifying" drug use and teen sex

8 February 2022, 11:15

Euphoria team show how they filmed Zendaya’s road running scenes

By Sam Prance

"Our show is in no way a moral tale to teach people how to live their life or what they should be doing."

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Zendaya has responded to D.A.R.E.'s criticism of Euphoria and revealed why she believes the drama has a positive impact.

Last week (Jan 25), Drug Abuse Resistance Education condemned Euphoria in a statement to TMZ. A representative said: "HBO’s television drama, Euphoria, chooses to misguidedly glorify and erroneously depict high school student drug use, addiction, anonymous sex, violence, and other destructive behaviours as common and widespread in today’s world."

Now, Zendaya has shut down D.A.R.E's comments and defended Euphoria in a new interview about her work on the show.

Zendaya claps back at D.A.R.E accusing Euphoria of "glorifying" drug use and teen sex. Picture: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic for HBO, LANDMARK MEDIA / Alamy Stock Photo

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Zendaya said: "Our show is in no way a moral tale to teach people how to live their life or what they should be doing. If anything, the feeling behind Euphoria, or whatever we have always been trying to do with it, is to hopefully help people feel a little bit less alone in their experience and their pain. And maybe feel like they're not the only one going through or dealing with what they're dealing with."

Zendaya added that she hopes people who care for Rue sympathise with addicts in real life. She added: "I think if we can still care about her after [what she does in season 2, episode 5], then I hope that other people can extend that to non-fictional characters, to real people, or just be a little bit more understanding and empathetic over the experience of addiction and what it does to people, what it does to their families."

Zendaya continued: "My biggest hope is that people are able to connect to it and those who need to heal and grow with Rue hopefully, by the end of this season, feel that hope and feel that change in her."

Zendaya opens up about filming Rue’s intervention in Euphoria season 2

Zendaya ended by saying: "I've had a lot of people reach out and find so many parallels from all ages, all walks of life. So many parallels with Rue and her story and Rue means a lot to them in a way that I can understand, but also maybe in a way that I could never understand, and that means that means the most to all of us."

We have no choice but to stan.