The Weeknd/Twitter
The Weeknd is firing back at Rolling Stone following an explosive report about the behind-the-scenes drama delaying his and Sam Levinson’s upcoming HBO show The Idol.
On Wednesday, Rolling Stone published a lengthy exposé (titled “‘The Idol’: How HBO’s Next ‘Euphoria’ Became Twisted ‘Torture Porn’”) detailing the production chaos that’s been swirling since last year, when Deadline reported that co-creator Levinson would be replacing The Idol’s initial director, Amy Seimetz. Sources for the article also revealed some shocking script ideas from the controversial Euphoria showrunner involving rape and domestic violence.
After the story ignited a firestorm online, The Weeknd, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, wanted to make it clear that he’s unbothered by all of the chatter. (To be fair, the lion’s share of Twitter comments have been aimed at Levinson as opposed to him.) He did so by sharing an oddly prescient clip from The Idol on his Twitter and Instagram accounts in which his Idol character questions the appeal of a Rolling Stone cover, calling the magazine “irrelevant.”