Sydney Sweeney has spoken about the intense public backlash she faced in 2018 over her role as Eden Spencer in The Handmaid's Tale, revealing that fans struggled to separate her from the deeply unlikeable character she portrayed. The actor recalled being confronted by strangers in public, including one incident at a restaurant table in Chicago, and said she received online death threats from viewers who conflated her fictional role with her real self. It highlights how the toxic side of fandom can spill into genuine harassment of performers, a phenomenon Sweeney has continued to experience in various forms since.

In the dystopian drama, Sweeney's character Eden was forced into a marriage with Max Minghella's Nick Blaine, complicating the storyline involving Elisabeth Moss's June Osborne, which fuelled viewer resentment towards her. Sweeney noted the hostility persisted until roughly episode eight of the season. The 2018 breakout year, which also included acclaimed work in the miniseries Sharp Objects, marked an early instance of the scrutiny she says has followed her career, echoing more recent controversies over an advertising campaign, the film Christy's poor box office, and reactions to her role in Euphoria's third season.