The HBO show has been met with criticism for its explicit nudity.
The Weeknd is responding to backlash surrounding his sex scenes in the latest episode of The Idol.
The singer, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, opened up about the controversial moment in the second episode of the series in a new interview with GQ. While the scene sees his character, Tedros and Lily-Rose Depp's Jocelyn get intimate on screen, Tesfaye said there's nothing "sexy" about it.
"There's nothing sexy about it. When we use Basic Instinct as a reference, we're using 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," he said of the much-talked-about moment. "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."
The Idol stars Tesfaye as Tedros, a charismatic cult leader/self-help guru who promises Jocelyn (Depp), an up-and-coming pop singer, the world, and will stop at nothing to make her famous.
As for his character, Tesfaye admits that Tedros is a bad guy -- in over his head in his pursuit of Jocelyn, something that he said comes across on-screen and even in the sex scenes.
"You look at him, and this is a score -- Jocelyn might be the biggest score he's ever had. It's very obvious. He's over-indulging, he walks into this house looking around like, 'Goddamn, am I way over my head? This can be the biggest job I've ever done. Whatever it is that he's doing," he explained. "Even the sex, it's so gluttonous. Especially in episode 2. 'Gluttony' is the only word I can think of [to describe it]. He can't believe he’s there. He comes off like such a loser. Those moments are the humanity that you find in a psychopath, the chink in his armor."
The series itself is a rollercoaster of emotions, done purposely to keep the audience on their toes. No matter how dark the moment gets though, Tesfaye said there's always an element of comedy present.
"With this show, we love to play with the emotions. We’re puppet-mastering your feelings through the show. It’s never a consistent tone, and that’s on purpose," the singer-actor shared. "No matter how dark a scene is, you can find the comedy in it."
This isn't the first time Tesfaye has come to the show's defense. He previously called out a Rolling Stone expose which claimed that production of the series had "gone wildly, disgustingly off the rails."
Responding to the criticism in a Vanity Fair profile, Tesfaye said he "thought the article was ridiculous," adding, "I wanted to give a ridiculous response to it."
At the time the allegations were first published, the musician responded by sharing a clip from the show in which his character deems Rolling Stone "irrelevant."
Both Depp and their co-star, Hank Azaria have also defended the HBO drama, with Azaria most recently telling the Today show, "every care was taken" when it came to the nude scenes featured in the series.
"I was mercifully left out of the nude shenanigans personally, but I can tell you that I know Lily-Rose [Depp], who was the center of all that mainly, has said publicly and privately how protected and taken care of and collaborated with and listened to and safe she felt," Azaria said. "I know every care was taken, not just with those kind of scenes, but there are many kinds of sensitive scenes in this show, and I certainly felt safe that way and collaborated with."
As for Depp, she had nothing but praise for the show and its creator, Sam Levinson, telling ET, "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. He hires people whose work he esteems and has always created an environment in which I felt seen, heard, and appreciated."
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