• Dani Bowman of Love on the Spectrum took offense to the usage of the R-slur in a recent episode of Euphoria.
  • Sydney Sweeney’s character Cassie said the word in response to being accused of sounding like a Democrat.
  • Dani called the usage of the R-slur made her “feel totally disrespected.”

After a four-year wait, Euphoria Sundays are back…and the show is already stirring up controversy with its explicit scenes, questionable plotlines, and usage of charged language upsetting to marginalized communities. Dani Bowman, a star on Netflix’s Love on the Spectrum, counts herself as one of many disappointed in the show for using the R-slur in a recent episode.

The episode in question saw Sydney Sweeney’s character, Cassie, saying “I’m not r—ed” after being accused of sounding like a Democrat during an in-show podcast appearance. Bowman was hurt by the language, saying that words like that should “never” be used and should “be banned” from being used altogether.

“We worked way too hard for inclusion and acceptance to normalize the R word again,” Bowman told TMZ in a video. “As someone on the autism spectrum, it’s honestly painful to watch this language become socially acceptable again in pop culture.”

She continued, “That word has been used for decades to bully, humiliate and dehumanize neurodiverse people, and bringing it back like it’s edgy or funny, it’s not progress. It’s a step backwards. We spent years trying to educate people that these words hurt real human beings, and representation means nothing if respect disappears the second people think it’s trendy to mock disability again.”

Dwayne Johnson also used the R-slur not once, but twice while joking about basketball player Draymond Green on Netflix’s The Roast of Kevin Hart; she didn’t find his usage of the word funny, either.

“Using the R word, even in a joke or skit, is disappointing. Words like that have a real impact because they’ve been used for years to mock and tear down people with disabilities and neurodiverse individuals,” she explained. “We’ve made a lot of progress when it comes to inclusion and awareness, so seeing that kind of language come back into mainstream entertainment feels like a step backwards. Comedy can still be funny without targeting a community that’s fought hard to be accepted.”

The normalization of such language, Bowman said, has made her “feel totally disrespected. You disrespect one, and you disrespect us all,” she added. “This word should be banned. I didn’t really like this R word at all, because it just dehumanizes people.”