Fans disgusted with The Weeknd for gross sex scene in The Idol

The Weeknd, real name Abel Tesfaye, is facing backlash from the internet due to his role in a highly explicit sex scene in new HBO series The Idol.

The singer plays a cult-like club owner who preys on a vulnerable pop icon struggling to create new music after the death of her mother. The controversial scene that has rubbed viewers up the wrong way shows The Weeknd's character, Tedros, firing off sexually graphic commands to Jocelyn, played by Lily Rose Depp, as she strips on her bed.

The show, which has been described as a “rape fantasy,” has been facing criticism since it aired, with many people believing that this particular scene was in poor taste and crossed boundaries.

One Twitter user claimed that she would “never see The Weeknd the same after this.”

Another user wrote: “It sounds better when he is singing these lines. As much as I can get with a scene like this like, something about his delivery made me uncomfortable.”

A third responded: “He definitely gives me the ick after that episode.”

While a fourth added: “I’ll never be able to ever listen to any Weeknd song the same way again if I watch this show.”

A fifth chimed in: “I didn’t expect Abel to be so X rated.”

The Weeknd has now addressed the backlash to the scene, telling GQ : “There's nothing sexy about it. When we use Basic Instinct as a reference, we're using [filmmaker Paul] Verhoeven.

“Verhoeven is the king of '90s satire thriller — yes, there's moments of 'sexy' in his films but there are other moments that are very cheesy and hilarious. However you're feeling watching that scene, whether it's discomfort, or you feel gross, or you feel embarrassed for the characters.

“It's all those emotions adding up to: This guy is in way over his head, this situation is one where he is not supposed to be here.”

Back in March, The Idol first faced criticism following the release of a Rolling Stone exposé. The article featured anonymous interviews with individuals who had worked on the show, alleging that the shows creators and producers had veered the series off track by creating a disturbing narrative centred around a man's abuse of a woman, presenting it as a form of love.

Speaking about the conception of the series, co-creator Sam Levinson toldW Magazinein May: “Abel came to us with a pitch. He said something that I’ll always remember: ‘If I wanted to start a cult, I could.’”

He added: “What he meant is that his fans were so loyal and devoted that they would follow him anywhere. That was the germ of the idea for The Idol : what happens when a pop star falls for the wrong guy and no one speaks up.”

Lily-Rose Depp has also come to her co-star’s defence during a breakdown of Episode 1 that aired post-premiere, saying: “I love Abel so much. He was able to melt into this role in a way that is really difficult for anybody to do.”

READ MORE:

• Click here for today's top showbiz news

• 'I turned down Love Island for a boy I just met – I was crazy but now it's my time'

Source: Read Full Article