Zendaya’s Euphoria co-star reveals unlikely new job amid questions over season three

One of the stars of Euphoria has seemingly revealed she wasn’t invited back for the third season, sharing a video of herself in her unlikely new job.

Actress Nika King has revealed her unlikely new job, as the Euphoria star seemingly confirmed she wasn’t invited back for the upcoming third season of the acclaimed series.

The US actress, 46, played Leslie Bennett in the first two seasons of the award-winning HBO series, portraying the mother of Zendaya’s character Rue.

And as the long-awaited third season finally enters production, King addressed fan questions about whether she’s returning to the show after she wasn’t listed in the cast announcement back in February.

Taking to Instagram with a now-viral video, King could be seen donning an apron and scrubs as she washed appliances in a commercial kitchen.

In overlay text alongside the clip, King wrote, “When ppl ask me if I’m filming S3 of Euphoria.”

“A job is a job,” King added in the caption.

King previously revealed she hadn’t paid her rent in six months as she awaited news of the upcoming season going into production following several delays.

Speaking out on Instagram in March last year, King told fans, “Season 3 is coming out … I don’t f**king know. Don’t ask me. I don’t know. It’s one of those things.”

The actress continued, “People are like, ‘We need Season 3.’ I’m like, ‘B**ch, I need Season 3, too!’ I haven’t paid my rent in six months, and Zendaya’s over in Paris at Fashion Week. I’m like, ‘B**ch, come home! I need you. Mama need you.’”

Nika King played Leslie Bennett, the mother of Zendaya's character Rue, in Euphoria's first two seasons. Picture: Eddy Chen/HBO

Euphoria’s third season is finally set to premiere next year, some four years after season two dropped.

It was revealed in February the core cast would be reprising their roles, including Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney and Jacob Elordi.

There were also several newcomers announced, including Grammy Award winner Rosalía and Super Bowl champion Marshawn Lynch.

While Zendaya will be reprising her role, Nika King won’t return for season 3.

Cast members Jacob Elordi and Sydney Sweeney are set to return to the show. Picture: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic for HBO

King is not the only cast member who won’t feature in the new series, with Barbie Ferreira, who played Kat Hernandez, announcing her departure in 2022.

“After four years of getting to embody the most special and enigmatic character Kat, I’m having to say a very teary-eyed goodbye,” Ferreira wrote on social media at the time.

“I hope many of you could see yourself in her like I did and that she brought you joy to see her journey into the character she is today. I put all my care and love into her and I hope you guys could feel it. Love you Katherine Hernandez.”

Deadline previously reported season three will see a time jump, meaning the characters will no longer be in their usual high school setting.

While little else is known about the plot, creator Sam Levinson told ELLE in a September 2023 cover story that Rue’s storyline will “explore what it means to be an individual with principles in a corrupt world.”