“The Idol” director Sam Levinson laughed as he ordered The Weeknd and Lily-Rose Depp to movie a “disturbing” rape scene for the controversial present, Web page Six can solely reveal.
An eyewitness tells us a “non-consensual semen scene” was shot for final Sunday’s episode of the HBO drama sequence, however ended up being minimize from the ultimate edit.
We’re instructed The Weeknd (actual identify: Abel Tesfaye), who performs duplicitous nightclub owner-turned-opportunist Tedros, and Depp, who portrays impressionable rising pop star Jocelyn, filmed a intercourse scene within the toilet of the Grammy winner’s real-life Bel Air mansion when Levinson gave the impromptu course.
The spy explains that the Emmy-winning “Euphoria” creator “explicitly directed” the character of Tedros to “strangle” the character of Jocelyn and ejaculate “inside her with out her consent.” The spy makes positive to make clear that The Weeknd himself “didn’t actually” ejaculate inside Depp.
Levinson was allegedly “by the monitor, laughing and feeding strains to Abel’s character, like, ‘I personal you,’” the insider tells us.
Although each Tesfaye, 33, and Depp, 24, “went together with Sam’s course,” the supply says the vast majority of these on set discovered the scene “extraordinarily disturbing.”
A second supply, who confirms the scene was filmed, tells us it was “initially set as much as result in a being pregnant scare for Jocelyn and finally was minimize due to storyline changes, which is a traditional a part of the artistic course of on a tv sequence.”
This insider insists Levinson, 38, “doesn’t take problems with consent frivolously” and that the present’s artistic group “was dedicated to making a protected, collaborative and mutually respectful working surroundings on set, which included having an intimacy coordinator for numerous scenes.”
The intimacy coordinator for “The Idol,” Mam Smith, didn’t reply to our quite a few requests for remark.
Levinson’s rep had “no remark,” and reps for each Tesfaye and Depp didn’t reply to our repeated inquiries.
In the meantime, a spokesperson for HBO shares, “‘The Idol’ is a fictional present with flawed, fictional characters. The director and actors have been all doing their jobs. It’s a tv sequence and subsequently not actual.”
“The Idol,” which premiered on June 4, has since obtained tons of backlash for its “X-rated” intercourse scenes and storylines.
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However the present was dealing with the warmth even earlier than it debuted.
In Might, Rolling Stone printed an exposé by which a number of members of the sequence’ solid and crew spoke out in regards to the graphic nature of the present and accused Levinson of twisting it right into a “rape fantasy.”
Levinson addressed the scathing report throughout an interview on the Cannes Movie Pageant final month, saying, “We all know we’re making a present that’s provocative. It’s not misplaced on us. I do know who I’m.”
Depp and The Weeknd have additionally publicly defended the venture, in addition to its polarizing maker.
Johnny Depp’s daughter instructed Vogue Australia earlier this week that “the nudity and the risqué nature” of her position is all “actually intentional.”
“I’ve by no means felt extra revered and extra protected on a set, truthfully,” she instructed the magazine, crediting “the belief” she “constructed” with each Levinson and Tesfaye with making her really feel comfy.
In the meantime, the R&B singer — who co-created the present and likewise serves as an govt producer — instructed Selection final week that the overwhelmingly damaging response to it’s “very a lot anticipated” and “precisely what [showrunners] needed to do.”
He additionally stood behind his controversial character, telling GQ earlier this month that he felt no have to “sugarcoat” his portrayal of Tedros, whom he described as a “psychopath.”
Followers have been offended once they realized “The Idol” is concluding this coming Sunday after simply 5 episodes, one lower than what had initially been ordered by the community.
Nevertheless, a supply instructed Web page Six earlier this month that “the door is unquestionably nonetheless open” for HBO to greenlight a Season 2.
“This was by no means meant to be a long-running present,” the insider defined earlier than clarifying {that a} determination on its future has “undoubtedly not” but been made.