Sam Levinson accused of ripping off Petra Collins’ work for Euphoria

Euphoria showrunner Sam Levinson is being accused for stealing work from director Petra Collins after firing her from working on the show.

Euphoria showrunner Sam Levinson has been at the forefront of quite a lot of criticism lately, and now he is once again being accused of side-lining a female collaborator. This time, said theft is regarding the previously mentioned Emmy-winning HBO series.

These accusations come from the woman he allegedly stole from, that being Canadian-Hungarian filmmaker and photographer Petra Collins, perhaps known best for her work on Olivia Rodrigo’s music videos.

Her statements come from a recent interview, and said interview has now begun making its rounds on Twitter, with most users seemingly siding with Collins.

Twitter blasts Sam Levinson as “vile” for ripping off Petra Collins

The interview began going viral when Twitter account, @Sydurbanek posted screenshots of old Collins’ statements due to an article they had been writing about the filmmaker.

According to the screenshots. Collins told Hungarian publication Punkt about being approached by Levinson to direct Euphoria, as he had told her that the show was “inspired by [her] photos.” However, he ultimately went on to direct the majority of the first season himself.

“I moved to L.A. and worked for HBO for about five months,” Collins explained. “I was like, ‘I am directing the show.’ I created a whole world for it, did the casting, whatever. [And at] the last minute, HBO was like, ‘We are not hiring you because you are too young.’”

She continued, “A year later, I walked out of my apartment and saw this billboard [for Euphoria], and it’s exactly what I am, as a copy of my work. I started crying. I was so shocked. I mean, it happens to me so many times in my career but not on a scale like that.”

These interview screenshots were instantly picked up by other Twitter users, who noted Levinson’s seeming pattern of undercutting female directors, and recognised the style that he reportedly stole from Collins.

The Levinson-Collins-Euphoria situation comes after – or technically before – his rumored firing of director Amy Seimetz on HBO’s other controversial and now-cancelled series The Idol.

Last year, Deadline reported that Seimetz had exited the show as a part of a “creative overhaul,” with Levinson taking over her role. There were also reports that star Abel Tesfaye, aka The Weeknd, led these changes because he didn’t like the show’s “female perspective.”

Add these accusations onto Levinson’s recent reports of onset chaos on both the productions of Euphoria and the Idol, and it doesn’t seem like he’ll be winning over public opinion any time soon.

For updates on Euphoria Season 3, head here, to read more about The Idol controversy, head here, and you can check out some of our other TV and movie hubs below: 

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