'Euphoria' director accused of turning The Weeknd, Lily-Rose Depp show into 'rape fantasy'

Sam Levinson's The Idol recently came under fire for its problematic script after 13 sources reveal jarring details

When the news of award-winning singer The Weeknd foraying into acting made headlines in 2021, to say that fans were excited would be an understatement. The Starboy hitmaker was set to pair with Lily-Rose Depp, daughter of Hollywood's controversial star, Johnny Depp, in HBO's The Idol. 

However, almost two years have gone by and the channel has failed to announce a release date. The delay in the airing of what many have labelled as an even more sexualised Euphoria has been credited to the change in director and essentially the show's entire plot. 

Now, in a damning report by Rolling Stone, thirteen sources have told the publication that The Idol — Sam Levinson’s next project after Emmy-winning teen drama, Euphoria — has gone wildly, disgustingly off the rails. Amy Seimetz, who was previously helming the drama, reportedly exited the show with roughly 80% of the six-episode series finished. 

TRIGGER WARNING!

What went wrong

For starters, the outlet reports that Levinson scrapped the nearly finished $54-75 million project and began working on the script again. Rumour has it that Weeknd wasn't entirely happy with the female perspective Seimetz had envisioned for the show. “It was like the Weeknd wanted one show that was all about him — Sam was on board with that,” a source revealed. 

As per the show synopsis, “The Weeknd and Levinson are the 'sick and twisted minds' behind the 'sleaziest love story in all of Hollywood' that follows pop superstar Jocelyn (Depp) as she navigates the seedy underbelly of the music industry and falls under the spell of Tedros (The Weeknd), a mysterious owner of a popular LA nightclub who secretly runs a cult."

Four sources say, "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."

According to all the sources Rolling Stone quoted, Levinson's new vision was to "weaken the show’s overarching message by dialing up the disturbing sexual content and nudity to match — and even surpass — that of his most successful show, Euphoria." One production member explained,  “What I signed up for was a dark satire of fame and the fame model in the 21st century. 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. It went from satire to the thing it was satirising.”  

'Rape fantasy'

Sources have further claimed that "even they are in the dark on when the show will make it to air, and have little idea about what the final version will look like, claiming the production was plagued by delays, reshoots, and rewrites." A crew member quoted, “It was, let’s just say, a sh*tshow." Another source added, "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 sources went on to describe scenes in the scripts which were jarring and problematic. “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," a source was quoted. Talking about the aforementioned scenes (which weren't shot and removed from the show later on), the triggering scenes detailed The Weeknd's character 'refusing' to rape Depp. 

According to the outlet, "In one draft episode, there allegedly was a scene where Weeknd bashes in Depp’s face, and her character smiles and asks to be beaten more, giving Tesfaye an erection. This scene was never shot, the source said. Another proposed scenario was for Depp to carry an egg in her vagina and if she dropped or cracked the egg, Weeknd's character would refuse to 'rape' her — which sent Depp’s character into a spiral, begging him to 'rape' her because she believed he was the key to her success. This scene also was not filmed because production couldn’t find a way to realistically shoot the scene without having Depp physically insert the egg, another source explains."

The source then while explaining their disgust added, “It was like, ‘What is this? What am I reading here?’ It was like sexual torture porn.” 

The Idol cast hits back

Levinson and The Weeknd did not respond to requests for comment, however after the story was published, the Earned It singer posted a clip from The Idol, writing, “Rolling Stone, did we upset you?” In a statement provided to the publication, Depp called 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.” 

HBO called The Idol one of the network’s “most exciting and provocative original programs,” in a statement to the publication, adding “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.” 

Money over mind

Needless to say, the show's production has left many wary of working again with Levinson. Many say the acclaimed filmmaker has a track record of creating chaotic sets. “I would never work for him ever again. I don’t think I’ll watch Euphoria again after working for him and knowing how he treats his crew," a source shared. 

“This was such a strong example of just how far [Levinson] can really push HBO and they will continue to cover [him] because he brings in money,” a second one added. “He’s able to walk away unscathed and everybody still wants to work with him… People ignore the red flags and follow him regardless.”

Have something to add to the story? Share it in the comments below.