Zendaya and Sydney Sweeney feud rumours explained – what’s actually happened?

Published 3 hours ago
Source: metro.co.uk
Zendaya is known for her quiet approach to fame and public life. Besides her engagement with Spider-Man’s Tom Holland, we don’t know all that much about the actor and her personal life – she really only checks in to social media for birthdays or for promoting a new project. Perhaps this is why it’s easy for fans and internet sleuths alike to project ideas onto her, one of which appears to be a rumoured feud with Euphoria co-star Sydney Sweeney… (Picture: Getty)

Where did the feud rumours originate from?

Rumours swirled after sources working on the hit HBO show reportedly told Daily Mail that Zendaya was ‘refusing’ to do press calls for the upcoming season of Euphoria with Sydney, and that they will not be seen standing next to one another. (Picture: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic for HBO/HBO MAX)
Rue tries to get clean for Jules and chaperones Gia at the carnival. Jules encounters Cal with his family and finally meets Tyler. Cassie and Maddy, annoyed at their boyfriends, decide to do molly together. Kat hangs out with Ethan until she misreads a situation. Nate reveals who he really is.
The two have worked together on the teen drama Euphoria for six years, with Zendaya playing Rue Bennett and Sweeney playing controversial Cassie Howard. According to these insider sources, it is opposing political views that have come between the two rather than anything on set — though neither have spoken about any issues. (Picture: HBO)
Sydney has sparked a lot of political controversy of her own this year. In July, when an American Eagle ad campaign featuring the star was launched with the tagline ‘Sydney Sweeney has great jeans’, there was considerable backlash against the slogan, comparing the tagline to rhetoric surrounding eugenics and white supremacy. (Picture: Getty)
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 4: Sydney Sweeney is seen on November 4, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by XNY/Star Max/GC Images)
After this, multiple news outlets in the US reported that Sweeney’s voting records show her as a registered Republican, though she has also not spoken out about this. President Trump even weighed in on the advert, saying ‘Now I love her ad’ after being told the news. Back in 2022, the actress was also forced to dismiss backlash after she posted photos from a party with family members wearing ‘right-wing’ political clothing. (Picture: 2025 XNY/Star Max)
Sydney Sweeney reacts to backlash after posting pictures with family in right-wing clothing LINK: https://www.instagram.com/p/ChxRrKhLvHC/?hl=en
Fans spotted that her father appeared to be wearing a ‘Blue Lives Matter’ T-shirt – a slogan in support of police which was largely coined as a direct response to the Black Lives Matter protests – and other photos showed people wearing red caps in the style of Donald Trump’s ‘Make America Great Again’. However, the words on the caps read: ‘Make 60 Great Again.’ (Picture: Instagram/sydney_sweeney)
Zendaya
Zendaya is known for vocally opposing Trump. After he won presidency for the first time in 2016, the star said on social media she was ‘speechless, petrified, heartbroken and weary’. She said: ‘I don’t know what to say or what to do. I guess I just never knew how many people in this country didn’t love other people in this country.’ (Picture: Getty)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 12: 74th ANNUAL PRIMETIME EMMY AWARDS -- Pictured: (l-r) Sydney Sweeney and Zendaya attend the 74th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards held at the Microsoft Theater on September 12, 2022. -- (Photo by Christopher Polk/NBC via Getty Images)
And it’s these perceived opposing political views that are behind the rumoured clash, according to the insiders. They told the Mail: ‘It’s a difficult position for Zendaya to be in because if she even stands next to Sydney on the red carpet, it can be read as her excusing Sydney’s views on Trump and her refusal to apologise for the racist ad.’ (Picture: NBC via Getty Images)

What have the pair said about each other?

The two stars have never spoken publicly about one another, let alone addressed the rumours, meaning the ‘feud’ may only really exist in speculation on the internet. The rumour gained renewed traction when Sweeney spoke to Vanity Fair in November 2024, with her comments on women in the industry tearing each other down being interpreted by some to be a dig at Zendaya – though her name was never mentioned. (Picture: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic for HBO)
Sweeney said: ‘It’s very disheartening to see women tear other women down. Especially when women who are successful in other avenues of their industry see younger talent working really hard – hoping to achieve whatever dreams that they may have – and then trying to bash and discredit any work that they’ve done.’ The statement could be viewed as very unlikely to be aimed at Zendaya considering the reference to ‘younger talent’ and the fact the actors are just one year apart in age. (Picture: Maya Dehlin Spach/WireImage)

Are rumours of a ‘feud’ a publicity stunt to promote Euphoria?

Amid all the fan speculation, some believe that suggestions of tension between the pair was just used to fuel interest in Euphoria Season 3, set to air April 2026 on HBO. It wouldn’t be the first time that Sweeney has been accused of a PR stunt, though previously fans had a lot more information to work with. (Picture: John Lamparski/WireImage)
This image released by Sony Pictures shows Glen Powell, left, and Sydney Sweeney in a scene from "Anyone But You." (Sony via AP)
Glen Powell openly applauded his ‘Anyone But You’ co-star Sweeney, also an executive producer on the film, for orchestrating the marketing campaign for the rom-com which hinted at an alleged real-life romance between the two leads. However, while online sleuths may be keeping an eye out, most of the drama between the two is yet to have much tangible evidence compared to the ‘Anyone But You’ stunt, so don’t hold your breath for more clues. (Picture: AP)

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EntertainmentShowbizSydney SweeneyUS Showbiz newsZendaya
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