The Weeknd responded to a story that the co-creator of his upcoming HBO drama The Idol transformed production into a "s—- show" by mocking the media outlet that published it.
Following the departure of the show's original director Amy Seimetz, 13 members of the cast and crew attacked Levinson's artistic approach in an article published in Rolling Stone on Wednesday. The Weeknd, real name Abel Tesfaye, called the magazine "irrelevant" in a tweet that included a clip from the new series in which his character appears with Lily-Rose Depp.
The singer posted the clip on twitter captioned, "Did we upset you?"
Depp plays an aspiring pop idol who starts a tumultuous connection with a self-help guru and head of a contemporary cult in the drama, which is set against the backdrop of the music business and was co-created by the Weeknd and Reza Fahim (the Weeknd).
Levinson allegedly abandoned Seimetz's strategy and "went from satire to the thing it was satirizing," according to members of the cast who were contacted for the Rolling Stone article.
Depp defended Levinson's creative direction in a different statement, saying: “Sam is, for so many reasons, the best director I have ever worked with. 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, 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.”
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