HBO Star Says She Can't Pay Rent Due to Show's Hiatus
One actress says the show hasn't changed her life in the way she thought.
Euphoria star Nika King needs the coming-of-age drama to return so that she can pay her bills, at least according to her latest comedy skit. King stars as Leslie, the mother of Zendaya's character Rue, joked that she's struggling to make ends meat and her life depends on the show at this point. It's unclear if it's a joke, or if she's serious. But as many say, there's always some truth in comedy. "Don't ask me [when season 3 is coming out]. I don't f---ing know. Don't ask me, I don't know," she said in footage from a recent standup event posted on her TikTok account. "People are like, 'We need season 3,' and I'm like, bitch, I need season 3! I haven't paid my rent in six months."
She suggested that her on-screen daughter, who is busy promoting her new film Dune: Part Two and keeping busy with other ventures, is holding up production. "Zendaya's over in Paris at Fashion Week, and I'm like, 'B–ch, come home! I need you! Mama needs you.'"
Despite the show's popularity, King says she's in need of a career boost. "Y'all laughing and I'm serious," she said. "I haven't booked nothing since Euphoria. This is some bulls---! I thought my career was on the rise after Euphoria, I thought I was good. It don't work that way. I called Taraji [P. Henson] and she was like, 'B-ch, get used to it.'" Henson was open about her grievances with industry politics, specifically as it relates to Black women in Hollywood, during her press run for The Color Purple.
Casey Bloys, who heads up HBO, announced the show would be returning for its next season in 2025. Series creator Sam Levinson previously said the third season is equivalent to a "film noir" that would "explore what it means to be an individual with principles in a corrupt world" through Zendaya's character, as reported by Entertainment Weekly.
Euphoria chronicles the troubled life of 17-year-old Rue, a drug addict fresh from rehab who struggles to stay clean with no clear plan. The show premiered in 2019. Zendaya took home the Emmy for the Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series category in 2022.