The Weeknd Says the Negative Reaction to ‘The Idol’ Was “Very Much Expected”

HBO’s The Idol is one of those shows that has more buzz off-screen than on-screen. Early rumblings of drama on set included criticism of the show as a “rape fantasy,” while more recent reports claim that the show’s star and co-creator Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye exhibited “egomaniacal” behavior. The series has been a conversation-starter for months now, but according to Tesfaye, all of this was expected.

In a new interview with Variety, Tesfaye — who co-created The Idol with Euphoria‘s Sam Levinson — was asked whether he was discouraged by the bad reviews and press the show has received. His response: “No, no, that very much expected.”

This is in line with a separate report published in Page Six last week, which stated that even HBO was not surprised by the controversies surrounding the series. A source claimed to the outlet, “It’s a Sam Levinson show, and you know what you’re getting with a Sam Levinson show.”

Tesfaye added that The Idol is not meant to show a glamorous side of fame; in fact, it’s meant to show the dark, seedy side of it. He told Variety, “My goal was for people to feel that way when they watch it, you know, and that they’ll reassess [fame]. It’s almost educational, that this is what comes with being incredibly famous. You’re surrounded by people who you’re not sure what their true intentions are, even if it seems like they’re good. You just never know.”

While the criticism may have been expected, the show itself has faced a dip in viewers week over week: after a particularly graphic sex scene between Tesfaye’s character, Tedros, and Lily-Rose Depp‘s Jocelyn, Variety reported that the show lost over 100,000 viewers, per Nielsen stats. Fan reactions to the scene were critical, with many singling out Tesfaye for his part in the violent sexual fantasy.

All of this criticism has come after just three episodes, and there are still three more to come. Tesfaye told Variety he simply wants fans to see it through: “Look, we’re playing with genres with this show, we’re doing exactly what we wanted to do. And none of this is a surprise. I’m excited for everyone to watch the rest of the show.”