The Weeknd responds to criticism of The Idol following Rolling Stone exposé

The Weeknd has responded to an exposé by Rolling Stone regarding his forthcoming HBO series The Idol, which was described by the publication as “torture porn”.

The upcoming TV show was subject to a recent investigation by the publication, who spoke to multiple sources working on the set of the show. Rolling Stone claimed that the series has gone “wildly, disgustingly off the rails”.

According to anonymous “production sources,” the making of the show was allegedly “plagued by delays, reshoots, and rewrites” described as a “shit show” by those involved.

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Directed by Euphoria creator Sam Levinson, The Idol is set to feature The Weeknd as a central character alongside the likes of Lily-Rose Depp, Troye Sivan, and BLACKPINK’s Jennie.

In response to Rolling Stone’s exposé, The Weeknd posted a clip from the TV show on Twitter where he can be heard calling the magazine “irrelevant”. “Did we upset you?” The Weeknd asked the publication, tagging them in the post.

Rolling Stone’s investigation detailed accounts from 13 members of the show’s cast and crew, and found that the “drastic delay” to The Idol’s air date was down to Levinson taking over as director and rewriting and shooting the entire show.

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“The things that we subject our talent and stars to, the forces that put people in the spotlight and how that can be manipulated in the post-Trump world,” claimed one source. “It went from satire to the thing it was satirising.”

Another source claimed that the show was “like a rape fantasy” following the story of a toxic male lead who essentially acts as a cult leader, played by The Weeknd.

Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Editorial Assistant, follow her on Twitter