"The industry says women are empowering other women, but that's not happening." Sydney Sweeney speaks out about bullying and criticism

Sydney Sweeney made the cover of VanityFair, making it into the list of the 12 brightest stars of the outgoing year. On this occasion, the 27-year-old star of "Euphoria" gave a detailed interview to the publication, in which she discussed stereotypes about herself, criticism and her personal life.

The actress, who is often accused of being "too sexy", says much of what is said about her is untrue. "I hope people realise how stupid all these headlines are. You know how it works." She suspects that even this interview will be turned into clickbait: "Unfortunately, I can't control my image - it's in the hands of journalists."

Sydney explains that she wants to play more serious roles than just a pretty girl. "I like being creative, having my own voice and making decisions that will help the project."

The actress also touched on a painful topic for herself. In the spring, her representatives had to comment on a statement by producer Carol Baum, who doubted the star's beauty and talent.

"It's really depressing to see women put other women down. It's especially depressing when women who have achieved success see young women working hard to achieve their dreams - and then try to denigrate and discredit any work they do. The whole industry says 'women empowering other women' but none of that is happening. It's all fake and a cover for all the other shit that gets said behind their backs," Sweeney said.

The problem with an entire generation, she says, is believing "that only one woman can be on top": "There's one woman who can get a man. There's one woman who can be, I don't know, whoever. And then everyone else feels like they have to fight each other or put that woman down, instead of saying, 'Let's help each other.' I'm still trying to figure that out. Why am I getting attacked?"

Sweeney's personal life has come under scrutiny. She was rumored to have had an affair with actor Glen Powell while they were filming the romantic comedy Anyone But You together. "When it became successful, a lot of the interviews were about that. I don't remember if we discussed strategy. But when you say 'no' to a specific question, people think you're a bitch [laughs]," Sydney said. She said she and Glenomy remain in touch and have "definitely a great working relationship."

Sweeney also spoke about her experience filming birth scenes in the horror film The Omen and the thriller Eden. "I really hope that the actual birth isn't as crazy as the experience of filming it. Women are the strongest people. It's absolutely incredible what we go through. I'm so amazed and fascinated and terrified by it all."

Sweeney, who is known for her explicit scenes (such as in the hit series Euphoria), has spoken out about her feelings on nude scenes. "I'm always very supportive of nudity, sex scenes, if the character's story calls for it. Whether it's a man or a woman, it doesn't matter if it's necessary to tell the story."

Sydney previously appeared on the popular show Saturday Night Live, where she played up the tabloid headlines about herself. In an interview with Vanity Fair, she noted that she enjoyed the experience: "In real life, I'm a funny person and I'd like to share that part of myself more. But on social media, there's such a gap in how things are communicated. It's hard to communicate things the way you intend them to be — they can be misconstrued. So to be able to do that on stage, I loved it. I felt like I was taking back my power."

Sydney spoke about her character from the series "Euphoria", which made her famous. "Cassie is such a deep, meaningful character to me. I think through her, I will be able to grieve (about the actor who played Fezco, Angus Cloud, who died of an overdose - Ed.). Cassie is the character that has been in my life the longest. I feel like she will always have a special place in my heart, so I know I can just "jump" right into her."

After her debut in Euphoria in 2019, Sydney Sweeney became one of the most sought-after actresses in Hollywood. The actress starred naked in the series, which made the public talk about the objectification of the female body again. For this project, as well as another series, White Lotus, she received two Emmy nominations. The actress now heads her own production company, Fifty-Fifty Films. The star's immediate plans include filming in joint projects with Julianne Moore (the thriller Echo Valley) and Jane Fonda (a remake of the 1968 sci-fi film Barbarella). She will also play the legendary boxer Christy Martin, whom her husband tried to kill.