Actor Milos Bikovic Responds After HBO Fires Him From ‘The White Lotus’ For Supporting Putin: “A Disturbing Precedent”

Actor Milos Bikovic is calling HBO out for firing him from The White Lotus Season 3 over his political beliefs.

In a statement shared on social media, the actor claimed he was the victim of a “targeted campaign” after Ukraine pressured the network to drop him from the highly anticipated show.

“I grew up in a war-torn country. At the age of 11, I endured days and nights in shelters while my homeland and my hometown were bombed. I could never wish such a devastation on anyone,” he wrote.

Bikovic’s statement continues, “Today, a targeted campaign has been unleashed against me, seemingly as an external maneuver to influence decisions that can create a disturbing precedent shadowing the essence of artistic freedom.”

He claimed his firing was a result of his political views, which he says “will remain unchanged.”

“However, my participation is not possible due to reasons beyond the realm of art and I will not bow to any narrative that seeks to compromise my integrity,” he said. 

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A post shared by Miloš Biković (@bikovic)

Bikovic further added that he initially felt “honored” when he was cast in The White Lotus Season 3, saying it was a “TV series that I hold in high regard and with colleagues whom I deeply respect.”

Per The Daily Mail, Bikovic was cast to play a “charming” yogi and lifestyle mentor who works at the hotel. HBO has since confirmed that the role will be recast, per Business Insider.

The network opted to fire Bikovic from the series after Ukraine publicly accused the actor of supporting Russia’s war in the Ukraine and Crimea soon after his casting was announced.

The Ukraine Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticized the actor on X: “Miloš Biković, Serbian actor who has been supporting Russia since the start of the full-scale invasion, is now set to star in HBO’s The White Lotus Season 3,” they wrote on X in January. “@HBO, is it all right for you to work with a person who supports genocide & violates international law?”

The tweet included a video that showed Bikovic shaking Putin’s hand at an awards ceremony in 2018, where Putin awarded him with the Pushkin Medal for his achievements as an actor.

Bikovic has not explicitly expressed support for Putin and the war in Ukraine, though he lamented the war when it broke out in 2022.

“War and bloodshed on any side reminds us of how far humanity is from global unity and love,” he wrote in a social media post. “God save the lives of all those who are now in danger!”

The White Lotus Season 3 will begin filming in Thailand later this month, with Jason Isaacs, Michelle Monaghan, Parker Posey, and more confirmed to star.