The Weeknd’s co-created HBO series “The Idol” is reportedly a darker and more “disturbing” version of “Euphoria,” as that series’ creator, Sam Levinson, has joined the project as director and is allegedly ramping up violence and sex.
In a Rolling Stone story published Wednesday, many of the 13 anonymous sources claiming to be close to the project described the director’s scripts as including disturbing sexual and physically violent scenes between The Weeknd, 33, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, and Lily-Rose Depp, 23.
“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,” one anonymous source told the publication.
The series follows Depp’s character, a pop star named Jocelyn, who meets a nightclub owner, Tedros (The Weeknd), who secretly happens to run a cult similar to NXIVM and Scientology.
In one example, Levinson allegedly proposed a scene in which Jocelyn was reportedly expected to successfully place and carry an egg in her vagina. If she dropped it, Tedros would reportedly refuse to “rape” her, which the character begged him to do for the sake of her career.
A source told the rock bible that the alleged scene was never filmed because production could not find a way for it to look real without Depp physically inserting the egg.
“It was like, ‘What is this? What am I reading here?’ ” a source told Rolling Stone. “It was like sexual torture porn.”
But in a statement to The Post, Depp called Levinson “the best director I have ever worked with” for “so many reasons.”
“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,” Depp continued. “He hires people whose work he esteems and has always created an environment in which I felt seen, heard and appreciated.”
The Weeknd responded to the allegations by posting a scene from “The Idol” to Instagram, coincidentally in which Tedros and Jocelyn agree that her posing for the cover of Rolling Stone would be a bad idea because the magazine is “irrelevant” and “past its prime.”
“Rolling Stone has 6 million followers on Instagram, half of them probably bots,” Tedros states in the clip, checking his phone.
“Jocelyn has 78 million followers … So she was a photo shoot, she tags them, they get her followers. More money for Rolling Stone, nothing for Jocelyn,” he says.
“The Idol” has been in the works since 2021. Three teaser trailers have been released, but an official release date has not been announced. The show’s original director, Amy Seimetz, suddenly left the project last April — even though the six-episode show was 80% complete, according to Rolling Stone.
But the sources claimed that Levinson has scrapped the alleged $54 million to $75 million project to rewrite and reshoot all of it.
A spokesperson for HBO also directed The Post to TMZ’s “accurate” story Wednesday, which claimed that The Weeknd is “optimistic and grateful” about Levinson’s direction and that Rolling Stone’s sources have allegedly not seen the final cut of the series, so they don’t know what content will be presented to audiences.
“The creators and producers of ‘The Idol’ have been working hard to create one of HBO’s most exciting and provocative original programs,” HBO said in a statement to The Post. “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,” it continued. “We look forward to sharing ‘The Idol’ with audiences soon.”
The Post has also contacted reps for The Weeknd and Levinson for comment.
Levinson’s “Euphoria” is one of HBO’s biggest original shows. Its Emmy-winning star, Zendaya, is rumored to be making $1 million per episode for the show’s upcoming third season.
One source told Rolling Stone that what they allegedly saw on “The Idol” set 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.
“He’s able to walk away unscathed and everybody still wants to work with him … People ignore the red flags and follow him regardless,” they alleged.