Euphoria Star Breaks Silence on Final-Season Absence and the Tragic Death Fans Can’t Stop Talking About
Euphoria’s final season kept key players offscreen—then the May 31 finale went further, killing Gia. Now Storm Reid is speaking out, dropping a cheeky studio clip that doubles as an apology to Rue.
Well, Euphoria went out with a bang and a bunch of missing faces. And now one of the originals is saying the quiet part out loud about who was (and wasn’t) there when the show signed off.
Storm Reid on Gia’s fate and that spicy reply
Storm Reid, who played Gia (Rue’s little sister), reacted to Gia’s death in the Sunday, May 31 finale with a pretty pointed joke. She posted a studio clip and captioned it: 'Sorry rue I’m busy in the stu.' Someone cracked back, 'It’s fine, you weren’t in her last 7 minutes.' Reid’s response: 'Were you?'
Translation: yes, Gia was barely around by the end — and Reid knows exactly how that looked.
The never-ending road to Season 3
If the whole season felt oddly thin on familiar faces, the bumpy timeline explains a lot. Euphoria launched in 2019, centered on Rue (Zendaya ) trying to stay sober after rehab. HBO renewed it fast, but the second season still didn’t hit for almost three years. Season 3 was supposed to arrive in 2025 and then got dragged even further.
- 2019: Euphoria premieres and becomes HBO’s next big teen-sadness juggernaut.
- Season 2: Renewed quickly, but the new episodes take nearly three years to materialize.
- Season 3 plan: Originally eyed for 2025.
- Delays pile up: Creator Sam Levinson splits time with The Idol; then the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes in late 2023 push everything back.
- Casting fallout: Storm Reid had already said she wouldn’t be returning. By the finale, Gia’s death is revealed and Reid reacts from the sidelines.
- Net effect: The final season sidelines several pivotal characters and trims others to the bone.
Nika King turns the delays into a bit (and it stings)
Nika King, who plays Rue’s mom, vented about the holdup during a stand-up set in March 2024. The joke landed because it was a little too real:
'Season 3 is coming out. I don’t f***ing know. Don’t ask me. I don’t know. It’s one of those things. People are like, We need season 3. I’m like, Bitch, I need season 3. I haven’t paid my rent in six months. And Zendaya’s over in Paris at Fashion Week. I’m like, Bitch, come home! I need you! Mama need you!'
She tried to keep it light, but then said flat-out that she hadn’t booked anything since Euphoria and that when she called Taraji P. Henson for advice, the message was basically: get used to it.
Back for two scenes... and one line
King did return for the final season — technically. She was brought back for two short scenes. After the episode she’d been hyping all week finally aired, she went on Instagram to say the longer back-and-forth she filmed got chopped down to almost nothing. Even her mom teased her for making everyone wait just to say one line. King took it in stride and said she’s got a sense of humor and thick skin.
Where this leaves Euphoria
Between the long delays, the creator juggling another show, the strikes, and cast who couldn’t or wouldn’t come back, the finale had to do a lot with a little — which is how you end up with major characters missing and a core family member’s death handled at arm’s length. If you want to revisit what the show was at full strength, Euphoria is streaming on HBO Max.