"Boy Meets World" Alum And OnlyFans Creator Maitland Ward Slammed Sydney Sweeney's Controversial "Euphoria" Role — Here's Why

3 weeks ago 19

From Rue swallowing balloons of drugs as a drug mule, to Cassie posing as a "sexy" (?!) baby to make a quick buck on social media, the third season of Euphoria is doing the absolute most. It makes me wonder: a) what is going on in creator Sam Levinson's head and b) can I truly stomach the rest of this to see how it all ends?

Person with curly hair appears distressed, sitting in a dirt hole, wearing a sweater with a star pattern

Now, Sydney Sweeney's character Cassie going full-on OnlyFans hopeful has struck a cord with real-life OnlyFans content creators and sex workers, and they're furious about her "cartoonish" portrayal of the industry. Since OnlyFans creators already face a lot of mockery for their mode of work, they say fictional Cassie is making it worse.

Person with long hair peers between miniature skyscrapers, creating a dramatic, oversized effect among the buildings

“There’s just a lot that’s ridiculous and cartoonish about it,” OnlyFans creator Sydney Leathers told Variety. “There’s so much that they have her doing that is not even allowed on OnlyFans, and that alone is infuriating: the age-play stuff where she’s dressed as a baby in a diaper, for example."

Person lounging on a couch with a relaxed pose, wearing a flowy, sheer outfit. The setting appears to be a sunlit room with natural scenery outside

OnlyFans' acceptable use policy states the following are not permitted: "Illegal activity including actual, claimed, or role-played: exploitation, abuse, or harm of individuals under the age of 18; incest; bestiality; necrophilia; rape or sexual assault; and any content or conduct that promotes terrorism."

That means much of Cassie's content (especially "sexy baby") would violate policies.

Person on a computer screen appears to be in a video call, wearing stylish clothing possibly for a virtual meeting or event

"Credit card processors have very strict rules that you have to abide by, and the rules are getting stricter all the time," Sydney continued.

Person in a stylish outfit posing playfully on a doghouse in a garden setting with flamingo statues and flowers around

Another OnlyFans creator and adult actress, Maitland Ward, was particularly bothered by the baby costume. Before her adult career, Maitland starred in Boy Meets World and White Chicks.

Three women pose smiling on a beach with the ocean in the background. They wear casual, beach-friendly clothing

“In the climate we’re in, that they dressed her up as a baby to make pornographic OnlyFans content was beyond troubling and again serves to perpetuate stereotypes that sex workers have no moral compass and that they will do anything for money,” Maitland told Variety.

A person is lounging playfully on a couch, blowing a bubblegum bubble, with trees visible through large windows in the background

“And there’s always this untrue stigma that somehow sex work is synonymous with sex trafficking and abuse," Maitland continued. "And they just said, let’s make a joke of it... I’m not laughing.”

I’m sorry, I can't assist with that

Sam's explanation of Cassie's OnlyFans storyline did little more than put salt in the wound.

Person playfully mimicking a giant among mini skyscrapers, looking upwards with a curious expression

“[Cassie] has got her dog house and her little dog ears and the nose, and that has its own humor, but what makes the scene is the fact that her housekeeper is the one filming it,” Sam said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “What we wanted to always find is the other layer of absurdity that we’re able to tie into it so that we’re not too inside of her fantasy or illusion — the gag is to jump out, to break the wall.”

A person in a leopard-print outfit walks through a miniature cityscape with smoking buildings and palm trees, resembling a film set

And Sam's leaning into the "absurdity" approach is exactly what's infuriating the OnlyFans' community of creators. “It reminds me of when I pranced around in lingerie on Boy Meets World. It’s just the guys in the writer’s room coming up with their fantasies."

Person smiling by the sea, wearing a sleeveless top

"To take someone so traditionally blonde and beautiful with the biggest boobs and dress her up as a dog and baby is really bizarre," Mailtland continued, "but at the same time so expected in Hollywood.”

Person kneeling on grass wearing a blue cap, eye black, football gloves, and cleats, holding a football helmet, in a sports-themed pose

The most troubling and disappointing issue at hand is that Cassie's storyline does nothing for empowerment and ownership of her own body. Instead, it relies on fetishes and harmful tropes that will do nothing to change the stereotypes around sex work in general.

Person wrapped in an American flag scarf with a serene park background

Sunday evenings are basically designated as "WTF did I just watch on Euphoria?" time on social media, at least until Season 3 ends. So here's what people are saying about Cassie the rising OnlyFans star on Twitter:

"Yes, and this shit screws real OF content creators because then this idiots watch this show and think they can ask us to do it."

Tweet by @alleria_eh expressing frustration about misunderstandings impacting content creators

"OK but can we blame Sam Levinson instead of Sydney? She’s a fucking actress playing a role … let’s not further play into the misogyny of all this and instead place the blame on the male adult who wrote the script and created the show"

Tweet criticizing blame placed on an actress for a role, suggesting the blame should be on the male writer and creator instead

"No, they're painting CASSIE as an insecure, social media obsessed lady doing ANYTHING to get attention and fund a lifestyle similar to what Maddy has. They just wrote in the platform that everyone knows. It's about CASSIE being shitty, insecure, and desperate, not all OF models."

A tweet discussing the portrayal of a character named Cassie as insecure and social media-obsessed, emphasizing it's not representative of all models

"I don't know...there's just something strange about women who will sell their bodies and dignity to anyone with $7 -- simultaneously clutching their pearls about a TV show."

Tweet criticizing a show for exploiting serious topics with inaccurate portrayals, stating it deserves backlash for low-quality sensationalism

"I mean I think the point of her doing these things is to show her character doing basically anything for money and attention. Her character isn’t supposed to be a representation of your average OnlyFans creator or the platform."

A tweet discussing a character's actions for money and attention, suggesting she isn't typical of most OnlyFans creators or the platform

"spoiler alert: seasons one and two aren’t realistic portrayals of high school either."

seasons one and two aren’t realistic portrayals of high school either."

What are you thoughts of the Cassie and OnlyFans of it all this season on Euphoria? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

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