Euphoria Cast Feud Rumours Explained: Zendaya's $1M Salary Reportedly Sparks Tensions with Sydney Sweeney

Zendaya is reportedly earning about $1 million per episode for the third season of Euphoria, a figure that sources claim has heightened tensions with co-star Sydney Sweeney and added fuel to wider feud rumours as the HBO drama moves towards its final run.

Euphoria became a breakout success over its first two seasons, with Zendaya at the centre as Rue and, from season two, as an executive producer helping shape the story. Around her, a young ensemble including Sydney Sweeney, Jacob Elordi, Alexa Demie and Chloe Cherry built fan bases of their own as the show turned into a prestige hit with awards clout and lucrative off-screen opportunities.

Zendaya's Euphoria Salary And How It Compares

Reports cited by The Tab say Zendaya's salary for season three has climbed to about $1 million per episode. If the new season follows the show's familiar eight-episode pattern, that would amount to a reported $8 million before bonuses or residuals are taken into account.

Those figures have not been confirmed by HBO or the cast's representatives, but they sit well above the sums being linked to the rest of the main ensemble. Sydney Sweeney is reportedly earning around $750,000 an episode, while an unnamed insider quoted by the Daily Mail and relayed by The Tab suggested the pay gap is one reason relations between the two stars are being described as strained.

'Zendaya was definitely making more money than Sydney,' the source said. 'Zendaya was the name coming on to the project, and that wasn't easy for Sydney, especially since she's now a bigger name than she once was.'

There has been no direct comment from either Zendaya or Sweeney on the reported feud or the salary claims. For now, both the figures and the alleged tension remain based on press reports and unnamed sourcing.

Further down the call sheet, Jacob Elordi is reportedly on around $700,000 an episode, with Alexa Demie said to be earning roughly $600,000. Chloe Cherry, who plays Faye, is widely reported to be at the lower end of the scale on about $80,000 per episode.

Within the same show, one performer is reportedly earning many times more than another per instalment, a reminder that ensemble dramas may look democratic on screen while operating very differently behind the scenes.

Sydney Sweeney, Alexa Demie And The Feud Rumours

The feud rumours do not stop with Zendaya and Sweeney. The same unnamed insider cited in the Daily Mail also claimed that the atmosphere between Sweeney and Alexa Demie has at times been openly cold.

'If there were any issues with anyone, Alexa Demie and Sydney would avoid each other,' the source alleged. 'And people could tell there was no love lost between them; they definitely don't like each other.'

Those claims sit awkwardly alongside the more polished public image around the show. At the season three premiere, Sydney Sweeney and Alexa Demie appeared cordial in front of cameras, a useful reminder that red carpet appearances can be easy to overread.

What is not disputed is that Euphoria is approaching the end of its current run. That gives any reported tensions a short shelf life on set, even if the questions around status, billing and salary may follow the cast long after the series ends.

Why The Pay Gap Matters

The salary chatter points to a blunt reality of prestige television. Viewers may see an ensemble, but the industry still pays according to leverage, profile and bargaining power.

Zendaya arrived at Euphoria with Disney fame, blockbuster credentials and the weight of being the show's central figure. She also moved into an executive producer role and has won major awards for playing Rue, giving her far more negotiating muscle than most of her co-stars.

Sydney Sweeney, Jacob Elordi and Alexa Demie, by contrast, became far more famous because of Euphoria. Industry logic says that difference was always likely to show up in the salary structure, even if it created resentment as other cast members grew into stars in their own right.

None of the studios involved, and none of the actors' representatives, has publicly clarified the numbers now circulating online. That leaves viewers with a story built largely on trade chatter, tabloids and unnamed insiders rather than official confirmation.

For now, the feud remains a rumour and the salary hierarchy a reported one. But the persistence of both stories shows how quickly off-screen status can become part of the drama surrounding a show as high profile as Euphoria.