The grand finale of “Euphoria” still has viewers in shock over that tragic ending and the main character’s fate.
Struggling addict Rue Bennett, played by Zendaya, became the emotional center of the HBO series that premiered in 2019.
Her raw battles with loss, relapse, and self-destruction often left viewers wondering whether she would survive long enough to find the peace she spent years chasing.
Sadly, Rue Bennett’s story ended in tragedy. After getting caught between rival drug bosses, she was killed by Alamo Brown, portrayed by Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje.
Once Brown discovered she had been secretly helping the DEA, he laced her pain medication with fentanyl. Rue died after taking one of the pills at her friend Ali Muhammad’s house.
Muhammad avenged Rue’s death by shooting Alamo in the chest three times at his strip club.
For some, the way she died seemed realistic for an addict’s story. Others were upset with the overall outcome of this third season, which some described as having no clear meaning or direction.
WAIT… so Rue was already dead from the overdose this whole time? And her reuniting with her mom was just her imagining one final goodbye before dying???
— sanmeyo (@oyemnassxo) June 1, 2026
nah this ending completely shattered me #Euphoria pic.twitter.com/R5lFbfh5ta
Now Zendaya’s mom, Claire Stoermer, is chiming in with her own thoughts about the finale, and they don’t seem too far off from fans’ emotions.
On June 1, one day after the finale aired, Stoermer posted a cryptic reaction on her Instagram story.
“Lots of messages in my DM’s from people about last night’s episode,” she wrote. “I’m gonna keep my thoughts to myself.”
Sharing a sliver of what she felt, Stoermer continued, “Definitely made me sad….and other emotions as well. But just gonna leave it right there……” before ending the statement.
Fans responded online to her reaction, noting, “I wonder what she truly feels.”
Another pointed out, “I mean ya she’s watching her daughter die, why tf would she wanna speak on that real or not…That’s tragic asf to watch as a parent.”
zendaya’s mother claire via instagram stories, regarding the series finale of “euphoria”. pic.twitter.com/EOT92Betuj
— the zendaya collective | a٠࣪⭑ (@thezendayaverse) June 1, 2026
Most “Euphoria” fans agreed that “Rue deserved a happy ending” rather than an emotional death scene. Some are now calling it a “Horrible season, horrible ending.”
“It was not supposed to end like that … God that was full of pain,” acknowledged one person.
Another said, “Zendaya carried the entire Season 3 on her back. She did an amazing job. The writing for the season was s—t, which is not her fault. She deserves another award for this season.”
Stoemer’s reaction to the finale of season 2 of “Euphoria” appeared to be the exact opposite of her current response.
In 2022, she was shocked to see the show close out with vocals from Zendaya on her and Labrinth’s track “I’m Tired.”
Her mom wrote, “yo! hearing her voice as the credits rolled…TOOK ME OUT!! tears streaming down my face… i told Z i didn’t want to watch the finale with anyone so i could cry in private! man, what a way to end it…so beautiful in every way!”
She also said, “I’m so proud…of everyone involved…”
In past years, Stoermer has celebrated her daughter’s wins with the show, including winning an Emmy in 2020 and 2022 for Outstanding Lead Actress and a Golden Globe for Best TV Actress in 2023.
Zendaya has not spoken about her character’s fate herself.
But she did address it in the behind-the-scenes footage shown at the end of the show, where she tearfully spoke to the crew on her last day of filming.
“I want to say thank you. I’m really grateful for every single one of you,” Zendaya said, according to Page Six. “Many of you have been here from the beginning and have watched me grow up. It’s been such a pleasure and an honor. Thank you so much.”
When it came to concluding the series, the show’s creator Sam Levinson intended to send an authentic message to the world.
He told The New York Times’ Popcast the story is “a tragic one in the end — but it’s also the truth. If you are experimenting or taking drugs today, it’s very possible it’ll kill you.”
“If we were really going to be saying something, we needed to put the audience in the position of a family member who loses someone that they love, Levinson later said.
“I wanted to mirror that feeling, and I know how much audiences love Rue. It felt like I can put them in the position that I think a lot of families are in.”
Zendaya’s father, Kazembe Ajamu Coleman, so far has been mum about the “Euphoria” finale. But he has always been supportive of her career.
Now that “Euphoria” has ended, she has three more projects coming out this year. This includes the third installment of “Dunes,” “Spiderman: Brand New Day,” and “The Odyssey.”
