Zendaya is standing up for her show.
The 25-year-old actress is speaking out after hearing about D.A.R.E.’s statement on her HBO series. Zendaya stars as Rue on Euphoria.
In a statement, D.A.R.E. claimed Euphoria was glorifying drug use and other behaviors that are deemed high risk:
“Rather than further each parent’s desire to keep their children safe from the potentially horrific consequences of drug abuse and other high-risk behavior, HBO’s television drama, Euphoria, chooses to misguidedly glorify and erroneously depict high school student drug use, addiction, anonymous sex, violence, and other destructive behaviors as common and widespread in today’s world.
It is unfortunate that HBO, social media, television program reviewers, and paid advertising have chosen to refer to the show as ‘groundbreaking,’ rather than recognizing the potential negative consequences on school-age children who today face unparalleled risks and mental health challenges.”
Zendaya has addressed D.A.R.E.’s statement, telling Entertainment Weekly:
“Our show is in no way a moral tale to teach people how to live their life or what they should be doing. If anything, the feeling behind Euphoria, or whatever we have always been trying to do with it, is to hopefully help people feel a little bit less alone in their experience and their pain.
And maybe feel like they’re not the only one going through or dealing with what they’re dealing with.”
She also stated that those intense scenes depicting drug use were important for the journey of her character as she moves towards a “light at the end of the tunnel for her, because I think she has a lot of beauty inside of her. Whether or not she quite sees that yet, is her own thing.”
Zendaya expressed her hope that the show helps people heal and grow:
“My biggest hope is that people are able to connect to it and those who need to heal and grow with Rue hopefully, by the end of this season, feel that hope and feel that change in her.”
