“Euphoria” may be the hottest show on TV, but the atmosphere on its set is said to be anything but blissful.
Several disgruntled crew members and extras are speaking out about their “hellish” experiences filming the horny HBO drama, accusing production of failing to provide them with adequate meals and bathroom breaks.
“It felt toxic to me because I don’t think anybody was really happy to be there,” one anonymous extra told the Daily Beast, which published the explosive allegations on Friday.
Some crew members claim there were so many complaints made to the labor union SAG-AFTRA that a rep from the organization showed up on the Los Angeles set.
HBO defended the wildly popular series. “The well-being of cast and crew on our productions is always a top priority,” the network told the Hollywood Reporter in a statement. “The production was in full compliance with all safety guidelines and guild protocols.”
“It’s not uncommon for drama series to have complex shoots, and COVID protocols add an additional layer,” the statement continued. “We maintain an open line of communication with all the guilds, including SAG-AFTRA. There were never any formal inquiries raised.”
However, several sources told the Daily Beast that “grueling” shoots could stretch on for 18 hours per day. Filming of several scenes took place overnight, with shooting commencing at sundown and dragging on until dawn.
SAG-AFTRA mandates that people on productions be fed every six hours, but some say they were left hungry while waiting around on set.
One anonymous extra went as far as saying it felt like they “didn’t exist as a person.”
“I understand that I’m doing background work,” they stated. “I’m not the most important person there, I know where I am on the totem pole. But it got to a point where I was like, I’m still a person, I’m still human. Please let me go to the restroom, don’t tell me I can’t go for 30 minutes or tell me I can’t get a snack when you’re not going to feed me and it’s 4 a.m. It just very much felt like we didn’t exist as people.”
Another source alleged that extras began “dropping like flies” due to the problems with production.
Meanwhile, it may not have been just background actors and crew who struggled with the set’s atmosphere.
One insider told the Daily Beast that lead star Barbie Ferreira, 25, clashed with “Euphoria” showrunner and writer Sam Levinson. According to multiple reports, their arguments allegedly prompted the starlet to storm off set on two separate occasions. However, a source told The Post that claim is not true.
The new allegations come after just weeks after co-star Minka Kelly, 41, spoke out publicly saying she “didn’t feel comfortable” filming a nude scene for the series.
Fellow “Euphoria” star Sydney Sweeney, who has filmed her fair share of nude scenes for the series, previously revealed she asked Levinson to cut some of them.
The Post has reached out to HBO for further comment.
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