Sam Levinson Had Initially Imagined a Different Ending for Zendaya’s Starring Character In 'Euphoria'

Sam Levinson has broken his silence on the "Euphoria" finale — and the deeply personal reason behind the ending that has the internet divided.

The ending of "Euphoria" was never going to be easy — but few could have predicted just how personal it truly was.

The season three finale of "Euphoria" officially aired on HBO on Sunday evening, May 31, and the conclusion of Rue Bennett's story — and ultimately the show itself — has left fans both disappointed and deeply divided.

Now, show creator Sam Levinson has spoken out, defending what he believes was the only fitting end to a tragic tale.

In the final episode, titled "In God We Trust," opiate addict Rue (portrayed by Zendaya) dies from fentanyl-laced Percocet, supplied by drug kingpin Alamo Brown (played by Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje) — a revenge killing driven by his belief that she had been working with the DEA.

Rue's sponsor, Ali (played by Colman Domingo), ultimately delivers justice in a gripping shootout, gunning Brown down. But even with Rue avenged, the backlash online has shown little sign of letting up.

Speaking on the New York Times' "Popcast" podcast, Levinson opened up about his creative reasoning. The "Euphoria" story is "a tragic one in the end — but it's also the truth," he explained. "If you are experimenting or taking drugs today, it's very possible it'll kill you."

Rue's fate wasn't always written this way. Levinson revealed that he had envisioned an entirely different path for the character — one that changed after the death of actor Angus Cloud.

Cloud, who portrayed fan-favorite drug dealer Fezco across the show's first two seasons, died of a fentanyl-related overdose in 2023 while Levinson was deep in production on season three. He was just 25 years old.

For Levinson, the ending he ultimately chose became an act of remembrance. "It was a way of honoring Angus and saying a prayer for the future," he shared.

But the tribute ran deeper than sentiment alone. Levinson, who has been open about his own recovery from addiction, said his concern about fentanyl had long preceded Cloud's passing.

"I'd always been really concerned about the prevalence of fentanyl. It's something that we've dealt with over the seasons and even in my first film ['Another Happy Day' (2011)]," he said.

Cloud's death, however, made the stakes impossible to ignore. "Once [Cloud] passed away, I had to reconceive the script and I thought, you can't tell a story about addiction today without the very real consequences. Most people don't get a second chance," Levinson continued.

He noted that fentanyl poses an immediate and lethal danger unlike anything from his own youth, when taking an unknown pill might mean a rough night — not a fatal one. With the crisis having touched so many American families, confronting it head-on felt, to him, like a responsibility.

Levinson also confirmed what many fans had already begun to suspect: the season three finale marks the end of "Euphoria" as the world knows it. Though neither the creator nor HBO has officially labeled it a "series finale," Levinson was unambiguous about his intentions.

"In terms of the story that we set out to tell, which is a story about addiction and its consequences, this feels like the end to me," he said.

From the beginning, he and the ensemble cast had set out to dismantle "the illusions of the world that we live in, whether it's 'likes will fulfill your soul,' whether it's love, money, fame, drugs will provide an escape."

In the end, Levinson wanted the audience to feel something that went beyond the screen.

"It felt like if we were really going to be saying something, we needed to put the audience in the position of a family member who loses someone that they love. And I know how much I love Rue and audiences love Rue," he said. "I wanted to mirror that feeling."

Whether fans agree with his vision or not, one thing is clear — for Levinson, this was never just a story. It was a eulogy.