No matter how much we all wanted to leaveThe Idolin 2023, the Sam Levinson series about a sleazy cult leader, Tedros, and his addled pop-star plaything has managed to have pop-culture relevance a whole year after its shoddy debut. Why, you may ask? Well, the series may be one of the reasons for a big spat between Levinson and hisEuphoriamuse, Zendaya. In a newHollywood ReporterinvestigationintoEuphoria’s embattled third season,sources said the relationship between theChallengersstar and the showrunner fractured asThe Idolchaos reigned, leading to the long delay for season three of theteenagesoap opera.“They went from being so close, and they couldn’t fix it,” a source toldHollywood Reporter.Some did bat for Levinson. Another source close to him blamed Zendaya, saying, “Everybody wanted to make it about Sam, but it was her.”
Once “thick as thieves” and serious creative partners — not only did Zendaya win two Emmys withEuphoria,but she also produced and led the uneven indie filmMalcolm & Marie— she reportedly grew frustrated with Levinson’s manic, all-in approach toThe Idolthat putEuphoriaon indefinite pause. (The former was completely reshot after he and star the Weeknd didn’t like the original cut.) According to the report, Zendaya met with head HBO execs Casey Bloys and Francesca Orsi to ask why they would prop up a new HBO series instead of gettingEuphoriaon track, to no avail. When news broke aboutThe Idol’s alleged toxic workplace and “rape fantasy” story lines, Zendaya was swept up in anti–Sam Levinson backlash that didn’t help the relationship. Plus she didn’t want his wife, Ashley Levinson, to be the only executive producer owing to fears that she wouldn’t be able to temper her husband’s costly impulsiveness. HBO reportedly tried to patch it up over a meeting. Filming forEuphoria’s third season is scheduled for 2025 with the full cast on board and the pair more or less “beginning to thaw.”