Euphoria star Barbie Ferreira addresses reports of conflict on the set of the teen drama. Ferreira plays Kat Hernandez on the HBO series, which is created by Sam Levinson. And, in Euphoria season 1, Kat was a featured character. Viewers learned about how Kat, a legend on Tumblr thanks to her erotic fanfiction, actually struggled with how she was perceived by others in real life. Over the course of eight episodes, Kat grew emboldened by her work as an online dominatrix and found a supportive boyfriend in Ethan (played by Austin Abrams). But when the show returned for its sophomore installment earlier in the year, much of that had eroded.
Kat had very few lines throughout Euphoria season 2. When she did appear or speak in a scene, it was usually to react to the drama between Cassie (Sydney Sweeney) and Maddy (Alexa Demie). And although she did have an ongoing story with Ethan, feeling unhappy in the relationship, it was resolved in a single abrupt scene that audiences felt was out of character for Kat. The very obvious downgrade fueled speculation and reports that Ferreira had fallen out of favor with Levinson.
Speaking with Insider, to promote her partnership with Coors Light, Ferreira addressed those rumors and reports. Saying that some of what she read was untrue, the actress attributed the interest to Euphoria‘s growing popularity. While she wouldn’t comment on any specific incident, she did state that “sometimes things take on a life of their own.” You can read Ferreira’s quote below.
What’s interesting about this season is there are so many more eyes on it that even the news cycle has been so interesting to see. I’ve seen so many different things and a lot of it is untrue and some of it’s kind of like mundane little things. But I really think that the fans are really passionate and I do appreciate that because ‘Euphoria’ has really impacted so many people. Sometimes, things take on a life of their own, and they’re not rooted in the truth, but it’s OK because I know it’s just out of passion and out of curiosity and all that good stuff. And I signed up for it. So, I’ll take it. I’ll take the good and the bad.
Reports alleged that Ferreira walked off the set of Euphoria after an argument with Levinson, who wrote and directed all of season 2, and that Kat’s role was reduced as a result. Other details have emerged where the cast and crew members discussed working long hours on an episode, at times without a sense of which scenes would be filmed in which order. That, in turn, can lead to a longer shoot than normal. HBO responded to these allegations, defending Euphoria and sharing that no formal inquiries were raised.
Euphoria season 2 saw a huge increase in viewership, improving 100 percent over the first installment by some estimates. Given those stats, it’s understandable that there would be plenty of enthusiasm around the show to discuss every new detail. But still, that doesn’t preclude some of what has been said from being true – especially given the consistency of the reporting. In any case, Ferreira would prefer to look ahead to the teen drama’s next season, with hopes that Kat’s internal life will be explored in-depth in Euphoria season 3. A lot of fans have those same hopes, as well.
