Did We Upset You Abel? The Weeknd Responds to Rolling Stone’s Expose on ‘The Idol’

Back in March, Rolling Stone published an extensive report on the direction and production of The Idol — HBO’s upcoming troubled pop star saga starring Lily-Rose Depp and the Weeknd, helmed by Euphoria creator Sam Levinson. Interviews with 13 members of the show’s cast and crew revealed troubling claims that the show had taken an overwhelmingly dark turn: One source described some potential scenes as “sexual torture porn,” while another said the show went from “a dark satire of fame and the fame model” to “the thing it was satirizing.” 

One production member put it bluntly: “It was like any rape fantasy that any toxic man would have in the show — and then the woman comes back for more because it makes her music better.” 

The Weeknd (who’s now aiming to ditch his stage name for his real name, Abel Tesfaye) initially responded to the article by posting a clip from the show on Twitter and writing, “Rolling Stone did we upset you?” Now, in a new interview with Vanity Fair, he’s responded more directly to the accusations and explained his initial, curt response. 

“I thought the article was ridiculous,” he said. “I wanted to give a ridiculous response to it.” 

According to Rolling Stone’s reporting, the direction of The Idol changed significantly after original director Amy Seimetz suddenly left the show with about 80 percent of the six-episode series finished. HBO, in turn, said the show would undergo a major creative overhaul. A Deadline report at the time suggested that one reason for the shake-up was that Tesfaye, who co-created the show, felt that it was heading too much into a “female perspective.”

Tesfaye rebuffed that claim, chalking up Seimetz’s departure to scheduling conflicts and production timelines. “I actually really loved working with Amy, and I’m sure she’s reading all this being like, ‘Why am I being thrown into this?’” Tesfaye said, adding: “Shows get reshot every day.” (Seimetz declined to comment on Rolling Stone’s original story and reportedly wasn’t available to comment for Vanity Fair’s.)

Still, some crew members insisted to Rolling Stone that the show’s perspective and messaging shifted drastically after Levinson stepped in. Levinson’s scripts reportedly contained disturbing sexual and physically violent scenes between Depp and Tesfaye’s characters, three sources told Rolling Stone. As one person put it, “It was a show about a woman who was finding herself sexually, turned into a show about a man who gets to abuse this woman, and she loves it.” 

In Vanity Fair, Tesfaye touted Depp’s involvement, saying she was like another creator on the show. Depp herself insisted that she, Tesfaye, and Levinson all brought their experiences to the show. “I want to leave people the opportunity to be surprised,” she said. “I think it’s interesting that people have so much to say about the show already and they haven’t even seen it.” 

Similar to the statement she shared with Rolling Stone at the time, Depp added: “I really and truly have never felt more like my opinions and my ideas or my input was more valued.”

To the extent that Tesfaye addressed the dark nature of the show, he said, “I mean, this isn’t a secret. Hollywood is a dark place. Which makes for great art.” He also pushed back against a question tying the claims about The Idol to some of the disturbing themes that have long been a feature of his music. 

“It’s adult music,” he said. “It’s not for the faint of heart. It’s R-rated music. I’m not responsible for how someone feels about my music… There were things in that description that have nothing to do with my persona at all. I don’t do anything. I’m at home with my dog and my close friends and my family. I get myself out of trouble as much as I can. I try not to stay at the party too long, I’m not that guy.”

Tesfaye also admitted he saw something beneficial in Rolling Stone’s report, insofar as it ginned up attention for The Idol in an all-press-is-good-press kind of way. “What are you gonna do? These are the trials and tribulations of it, and that’s what the show is about.”

One Idol crew member, however, suggested to Rolling Stone that any possible message has been diluted: “It’s almost such an extreme that it’s like, there is no message. There is no point. They’re just trying to see how much of a reaction they can get.”