The Idol: The Weeknd, Lily-Rose Depp and HBO respond to creative clashes and alleged toxicity on the set of new music-industry drama

HBO denies reports of chaos on the set of The Weeknd and Lily Rose-Depp's new series The Idol.

The Weeknd, Lily-Rose Depp and HBO are coming to defend their new series The Idol, which has been reported of onset creative clashes and toxicity. The news comes after a report from Rolling Stone alleging that production on the upcoming HBO series, which was billed as a six-episode series, has seen multiple production delays and costly reshoots.

The Idol: The Weeknd, Lily-Rose Depp and HBO respond to creative clashes and alleged toxicity on the set of new music-industry drama

The report shares that the series, which saw end-moment script changes, derailed into "sexual torture porn" after Euphoria’s Sam Levinson stepped in as director in April and the set went through “sense of chaos,” per the outlet. According to one of the 13 anonymous sources interviewed by the publication, the new story felt as if “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.”

In response, HBO denied the recent accusations and shared how the network is excited about the new creative direction. "The creators and producers of The Idol have been working hard to create one of HBO's most exciting and provocative original programs," the statement read, as shared by People publication. "The initial approach on the show and production of the early episodes, unfortunately, did not meet HBO standards so we chose to make a change."

"Throughout the process, the 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,” the statement continued. “We look forward to sharing The Idol with audiences soon." Depp also praised Levinson's new direction and his collaborative nature in a statement to People.

"Sam is, for so many reasons, the best director I have ever worked with," she said. "Never have I felt more supported or respected in a creative space, my input and opinions more valued. Working with Sam is a true collaboration in every way - it matters to him, more than anything does, not only what his actors think about the work, but how we feel performing it. He hires people whose work he esteems and has always created an environment in which I felt seen, heard, and appreciated."

Moreover, The Weeknd also responded to Rolling Stone’s report sharing an unreleased clip from The Idol in which the characters disparage Rolling Stone, calling the publication "irrelevant" and "past its prime." The video is captioned, “@rollingstone did we upset you?” Additionally, a source told People that the video was filmed sometime last year and is not the result of Rolling Stone’s report, which claimed that the new scripts contained "disturbing sexual and physically violent scenes between Depp and Tesfaye's characters."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Weeknd (@theweeknd)

The Idol also stars Troye Sivan, Blackpink’s Jennie, Dan Levy, Rachel Sennott, Hank Azaria, Moses Sumney and more. “A self-help guru and leader of a modern-day cult enters a complicated relationship with a rising pop idol,” reads an official logline for the series.

The Idol is set to premiere on HBO sometime in 2023.

Also Read: The Idol: The Weeknd, Lily-Rose Depp get involved in Hollywood’s sleaziest love story in raunchy new teaser; BLACKPINK’s Jennie makes an appearance