The Weeknd responds to Rolling Stone report on ‘disturbing sexual’ content of his HBO show ‘The Idol’

On Wednesday, Rolling Stone published an explosive report on the upcoming HBO show The Idol," which sources compared to sexual torture porn" and rape fantasy."

Co-created by The Weeknd - the Toronto pop star whose real name is Abel Tesfaye - and Euphoria" director Sam Levinson, the production of the highly-anticipated series has gone wildly, disgustingly off the rails," throwing its future into question.

The report alleged that Tesfaye, who plays a cult leader alongside a troubled pop star played by Lily-Rose Depp, overhauled the show's creative direction because he was unhappy with the show's feminist lens."

The music publication also reported that several sources involved in the production were concerned with some of the disturbing sexual and physically violent" content.

Tesfaye did not respond to requests for comment by Rolling Stone, but shared a tweet on Wednesday evening. @Rollingstone did we upset you?" the tweet read, alongside a clip from The Idol" in which his character questions the relevance of the longtime music publication.

Tesfaye's response drew swift backlash on social media.

This is a very glib way to respond to corroborated accounts of an unprofessional and possibly compromising work environment where the crew says they're being mistreated," wrote culture writer Jordan Crucchiola. On a show where you're the co creator, star, one of few credited writers and probably also an EP (executive producer). Gross."

What is The Idol'?

In the summer of 2021, Tesfaye announced that he was creating, producing and co-writing a drama series for HBO alongside his frequent production partner Reza Fahim and Sam Levinson. Levinson, who is the son of Academy Award-winning director Barry Levinson, is best known as the mind behind the popular HBO teen drama Euphoria."

The Idol" tells the story of a pop star, played by Rose Depp, who becomes romantically involved with a self-help guru and cult leader, played by Tesfaye. The show boasts an impressive cast, including Canadian comedian Dan Levy and the late actor Anne Heche in her final role. The series also stars a long list of musicians, including Troye Sivan, Moses Sumney, and Blackpink's Jennie Kim.

HBO released an official trailer last July, describing the show as the sleaziest love story in all of Hollywood."

Production delays and creative overhauls

The Idol" was originally set to be directed by Amy Seimetz, best known for her work on The Girlfriend Experience" and She Dies Tomorrow." In April, Seimetz abruptly exited the show after it was reported that Tesfaye was unhappy with its creative direction.

According to a report by Deadline, the shakeup stemmed from the fact that Tesfaye felt the show was leaning too much into a female perspective,'" with more focus on Rose Depp's character than his own.

Rolling Stone cited a source that also said Tesfaye was the reason behind the shakeup.: (He wanted) to tone down the cult aspect of the storyline and pivot into something else entirely, dropping the feminist lens' through which the show was being told as a result."

With Seimetz out, Levinson took over as director, Rolling Stone reported, scrapping the nearly-finished $54-to-$75-million project to rewrite and reshoot the entire thing."

Four sources say that Levinson ultimately scrapped Seimetz's approach to the story, making it less about a troubled starlet falling victim to a predatory industry figure and fighting to reclaim her own agency, and more of a degrading love story with a hollow message that some crew members describe as being offensive."

Though The Idol" was expected to come out some time in 2023, it's unclear when it will debut.

It's not the first time Levinson has faced criticism

Levinson's Euphoria" is currently one of HBO's most popular shows and has made an undeniable impact on the cultural zeitgeist. However, of the course of its two seasons, the show has also generated plenty of controversy for its boundary-pushing content and rumours of a toxic on-set environment.

During the filming of season two, multiple actors, including Sydney Sweeney, Martha Kelly, Chloe Cheery and Minka Kelly expressed discomfort with the amount of nudity written into Levinson's scripts.

Last March, The Daily Beast published a report calling the production of Euphoria a toxic workplace," beset by long hours and messy, behind-the-scenes drama."

How has HBO responded?

In a statement provided to Rolling Stone, HBO wrote that The Idol's" creative team has been committed to creating a safe, collaborative, and mutually respectful working environment, and last year, the team made creative changes they felt were in the best interest of both the production and the cast and crew."

Rose Depp also provided comment to Rolling Stone, calling Levinson the best director" she's ever worked with, saying she has never felt more supported or respected in a creative space, my input and opinions more valued."

Richie Assaly is a Toronto-based digital producer for the Star. Reach him via email: rassaly@thestar.ca