The Weeknd and his co-star Lily-Rose Depp have slammed claims their new HBO show The Idol is "torture porn" which was created by a "toxic man".
The upcoming series is said to have been plagued by delays and rewrites, with a new report revealing unrealistic expectations from producers and the filming of graphic sex scenes.
The damning report was published in Rolling Stone earlier this week, with the show being described as something which has "gone wildly, disgustingly off the rails".
The Weeknd, 33, has now hit out at the publication on Twitter by sharing a clip from The Idol which discusses the relevancy of the magazine.
Alongside the video, the musician wrote: "@RollingStone did we upset you?"
In the clip, The Weeknd's character Tedros asked: "Rolling Stone, aren't they a little irrelevant?"
Lily-Rose's character Jocelyn added: "I don't know, I feel like it's maybe past its prime," as the characters discussed whether it was worth doing a cover shoot with the publication.
"Rolling Stone has six million followers on Instagram, half of them probably bought and Jocelyn has 78 million followers, all real," The Weeknd's character finished.
The Rolling Stone had shared quotes from insiders on the series who described production as "like sexual torture porn".
23-year-old Lily-Rose has also hit out at the publication as she defended The Idol's director Sam Levinson.
"Sam is, for so many reasons, the best director I have ever worked with. 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," she told E! News.
In a statement, HBO said: "The creators and producers of The Idol have been working hard to create one of HBO's most exciting and provocative original programmes.
"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.
They concluded, "Throughout the process, the creative team has been committed to creating a safe, collaborative and mutually respectful working environment.
"Last year, the team made creative changes they felt were in the best interest of both the production and the cast and crew. We look forward to sharing The Idol with audiences soon."
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