Abel Tesfaye Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

HBO‘s new drama series The Idol has arrived – you can find episode details below.Created by Euphoria’s Sam Levinson, Reza Fahim and Abel Tesfaye aka The Weeknd, the The Idol follows a self-help guru and leader of a modern-day cult, who develops a complicated relationship with an up-and-coming pop idol.Lily Rose Depp (The Dancer) and Tesfaye lead the cast, supported by Suzanna Son, Troye Sivan, Moses Sumney, Jane Adams, Dan Levy, Eli Roth, Mike Dean and Hank Azaria.There will be six episodes of the HBO drama in total, with the first airing on June 4, 2023 at 9pm ET (1am GMT). Each episode will be roughly an hour long.Viewers can watch the show on both HBO and streaming service Max.The first teaser trailer was released on July 17, 2022 – you can watch it above.

Stephen Rodrick In “The Idol,” the Weeknd plays Tedros a Svengali character who does not possess a heart of gold or maybe even a personality. Early in his appearance, he sidles up to Lily-Rose Depp as Jocelyn, the title character.

“The Idol” viewers weren’t impressed when the series made its debut on Sunday night, but The Weeknd knew such a reaction was coming.

Abel Tesfaye (The Weeknd) and Lily-Rose Depp have continued to dismiss reports of a toxic environment surrounding the production of their forthcoming, Sam Levinson-directed HBO drama series The Idol. In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, Depp refers to the atmosphere on set as a “lighthearted” one with “lots of laughs… music, dancing around, and that kind of energy.” Elsewhere in the interview, she discusses the varying acting processes of the show’s cast, which also includes Suzanna Son, Jane Adams, Dan Levy, Eli Roth, Rachel Sennott, Hari Nef, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and Hank Azaria, as well Moses Sumney, Mike Dean, Troye Sivan, Ramsey, and BLACKPINK’s Jennie. Read Next: The Idol review: a need to provoke renders The Weeknd’s TV debut tedious “I don’t think anybody went full method — nobody lost their minds,” she says.

Getting ready for the big debut! Lily-Rose Depp is overwhelmed with excitement for the premiere of her new dark drama series “The Idol”.

The Weeknd, born Abel Tesfaye, has dated a number of influential women over the course of his career. Despite his edgy music and his notorious and controversial new show “The Idol” where he stars alongside Lily-Rose Depp, Tesfaye has a pretty lowkey personal life.

Well, the first episode of The Idol has finally premiered, and viewers have a lot to say.

Apparently, Lily-Rose Depp did her best to stay away – far away – from her co-star, The Weeknd, while filming their show at times.

This Sunday (June 4) The Idol will premiere on HBO. The Weeknd (or Abel Tesfaye, as he prefers to be known right now)'s TV series screened at the Cannes Film Festival last month and critics took time out of applauding things for nine minutes straight to pan the show, dismissing it as "queasy" and "vulgar" among many other insults.

The Weeknd has released new single ‘Popular’ – featuring Madonna and Playboi Carti. Check it out below.The new track is set to appear on the highly-anticipated HBO series, The Idol — which sees both The Weeknd (going by his birth name Abel Tesfaye) and Lily-Rose Depp in the lead roles.Featuring guest cameos from Playboi Carti and Madonna, ‘Popular’ is the second song that The Weeknd has released ahead of the upcoming drama.

BLACKPINK member Jennie sang part of the classic ‘Killing Me Softly With His Song’ while performing as part of a Chanel showcase in Tokyo, Japan this week.Jennie sang the song – first released by Lori Lieberman in 1972, and popularised through renditions by both Roberta Flack and the Fugees – during Chanel’s 2022-23 Métiers d’art collection show in Tokyo.She performed the song as part of a mashup that also included a section of ‘Fly Me to the Moon’, penned by Bart Howard in 1954 and notably recorded by Frank Sinatra. The performance also included a jazzy version of her unreleased solo song ‘You & Me’.

which stars Lily-Rose Depp as Jocelyn, an up-and-coming pop singer, and Abel Tesfaye, aka The Weeknd, as Tedros, a charismatic self-help guru who is hell-bent on making Jocelyn a superstar.The new trailer for the forthcoming series — from creator Sam Levinson — dropped on Monday, giving fans a look at the sexy and scandalous storylines to come. From partying at cocaine-fueled ragers to blindfolding Jocelyn in the studio, Tedros' antics start to raise eyebrows in her inner circle, as he positions himself as the solution to all the young singer's problems.«You're not a human being,» he tells her in the clip, sounding sinister.

BLACKPINK‘s Jennie has opened up about working with Lily-rose Depp on the upcoming HBO series The Idol.South Korean singer Jennie, of the K-pop girl group BLACKPINK, recently spoke about her experience working on the forthcoming HBO original TV series, starring Lily-Rose Depp and Abel Tesfaye (also known as The Weeknd).In an interview with Women’s Wear Daily, Jennie touched what it was like to make her acting debut in The Idol and what it was like working with Depp. “It definitely was a challenge, because I’ve never experienced anything like that before. It was like, breaking a wall for me,” she said.“She really helped me a lot.

Lily-Rose Depp plays a modern pop star in the upcoming Max series, but for her inspiration for the character, she drew on icons from different generations.«Of course, there are so many incredible pop stars of today that I have nothing but admiration and respect for — and of course, you can't help but thinking of when you think of a character like Jocelyn — but we're definitely not telling anybody else's story or trying to base her on any real person,» the actress explained to ET's Rachel Smith over a virtual interview from the Cannes Film Festival, where the series premiered its first two episodes this week.«We actually drew from a lot of other influences that are not pop stars,» she added. «We thought a lot about Sharon Stone in and the Gene Tierneys and Lauren Bacalls… all of these women that were very inspiring to me for the role.»There was plenty of pop star inspiration for Depp to draw from on set, as well.

The Idol just had its official premiere at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, and the reviews are steadily pouring in!

Sometimes in Cannes it’s fun just to hover at the fringes of a party to observe the interactions, the body language, the eye-rolling, who’s drinking what and who isn’t.

The Weeknd opened up about his new drama series “The Idol” as the first two episodes premiered at Cannes Film Festival on Monday.

idolizing.The upcoming HBO show “The Idol” — starring Lily-Rose Depp and Abel Tesfaye, aka “The Weeknd,” who is also a co-creator — is not getting glowing reviews from its debut at Cannes, where it screened its first two episodes on Monday.“The Idol,” or 50 SHADES OF TESFAYE: A Pornhub-homepage odyssey starring Lily-Rose Depp’s areolas and The Weeknd’s greasy rat tail,” one critic derided after viewing it.“Love that this will help launch the HBO Max rebrand, should slot nicely next to House Hunters!”Co-created by Sam Levinson of “Euphoria” fame, “The Idol” is about an up-and-coming pop star Jocelyn — played by Depp, who is the 23-year-old daughter of Johnny Depp — as she gets entangled with a sinister self-help guru, Tedros played by Tesfaye. The production has already been besieged by scandal, including an April report from Rolling Stone in which sources on the production described a chaotic environment behind the scenes and called it “torture porn” and “rape fantasy.”At the time, Tesfaye, 33, replied by posting a taunting message: “Did we upset you?”Another viewer who caught it at the film festival commented, “Ep 2 is straight-up pornographic there’s an entire 10-minute scene of The Weeknd talking dirty to Lily while she fingers herself for him, then he tells her to suck his c–k and she gives him head. The worst part is that Sam Levinson originally wanted that scene to be longer, too.”She also added that Depp’s character is nude or having sex in every episode.

HBO’s The Idol have sparked controversy among critics, with many criticising the overtly sexual nature of the series.The episodes were shown for the first time at this year’s Cannes Film Festival (May 22), making it the first show to have its official debut at the prestigious cinema event.It stars both Lily-Rose Depp and The Weeknd — who is working under his real name Abel Tesfaye — and follows the story of a world-famous pop star (Depp), whose relationship with sleazy mentor (Tesfaye) highlights the dark underbelly of the showbiz world.Following the first two episodes of the long-awaited series, the show — which is directed by Euphoria creator Sam Levinson — received a five-minute standing ovation from the audience. Critics, however, have taken a different approach – with many being quick to criticise the series for its explicit content and “regressive” narrative.A review by Variety proclaimed the series to play “like a sordid male fantasy” which “perpetuates the myth that pop stars are corporate puppets with no say in their own image-making”.

Lord, give me strength. From the first minute of “The Idol,” the already controversial music-based television series from HBO Max (sorry, Max), it’s clear that creators Abel Tesfaye (formerly known as The Weeknd), Sam Levinson, and Reza Fahim want to incite a reaction.

CANNES (Reuters) - "The Idol," HBO's much-hyped new series from the creator of "Euphoria" that bills itself as the "sleaziest love story in all of Hollywood," premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on Monday. Travis Scott, Stella Maxwell and Julia Fox, wrapped in a plastic gown and wearing dark lipstick, joined Lily-Rose Depp and Abel Tesfaye, the stars of the show, on the red carpet, surrounded by screaming fans who packed the Croisette boulevard. Depp - whose famous father, Johnny Depp, also had a premiere at the festival - stars as Jocelyn, a pop singer trying to stage a sexier-than-ever comeback after suffering a nervous breakdown.

“When was the last truly f*cking nasty, nasty, bad pop girl?” This is the question posed in the teaser trailer to HBO’s The Idol, which promises the kind of lurid, adrenaline-pumping pop-culture exposé you’d see if Paul Verhoeven was ever allowed to make a film like Showgirls again. Said trailer also features copious quantities of cocaine, champagne and seriously dirty dancing, suggesting a warts-and-all drama about a super-ambitious Madonna/Lady Gaga type who has recently hit the big time in the dog-eat-dog world of showbiz.

The Weeknd has responded to a Lady Gaga meme that has gone viral has he announced the change of his stage name.This week, the Canadian pop star – real name Abel Tesfaye – announced that he was retiring his stage name and will be known from now by his birth name. It came after he vowed to “kill” his alter-ego.Last month, he shared a tweet reading: “ABEL formally known as The Weeknd?” and this week (May 15) then changed his social media profiles to the name Abel Tesfaye.Since then, fans have been reacting to the news on social media, with one Lady Gaga meme dominating the conversation.In one tweet, a fan shared the caption: “The assistant in the record store when I ask if they have any Abel Tesfaye albums in stock,” alongside a video of Lady Gaga performing the song ‘Babylon’ live, in which she sings: “We only have the weekend.”Tesfaye shared his love for the meme, replying with the crying laughing emoji.

“chaos” on the set of his upcoming HBO series “The Idol” as “ridiculous” in a Vanity Fair interview published Tuesday.“I thought the article was ridiculous,” says the singer and actor, who now goes by his given name, Abel Tesfaye. He said he resented the magazine’s implication that “these are rapists trying to make a rape fantasy.”The Rolling Stone article relied on anonymous sources who described the Sam Levinson-directed series as  “sexual torture porn,” and as “any rape fantasy that any toxic man would have in the show.” Vanity Fair’s Dan Adler has seen the first episode of the series which features Jocelyn, the singer played by Lily-Rose Depp, responding to a comment by her assistant Leia (Rachel Sennott) that Tedros (Tesfaye) is “so rape-y,” with, “Yeah, I kind of like that about him.” Leia then says, “Joc, no, gross. So disturbing.”Tesfaye told Vanity Fair that he has more in common with Depp’s character than his own: “Tedros is that superego that we as men wanna stay away from as much as possible.

The Weeknd is blasting Rolling Stone yet again.

The Weeknd is speaking out against criticism surrounding his upcoming HBO Max series,, addressing creative shakeups and a lengthy report alleging that production had «gone wildly, disgustingly off the rails.»The 33-year-old pop star-turned-series creator opens up in a profile for 's new issue, on newsstands May 30, responding candidly to a March article claiming that behind-the-scenes turmoil on the set included chaotic scheduling, going over budget and last-minute script changes and overhauls on graphically violent and sexual scenes.By his estimation, The Weeknd — whose birth name is Abel Tesfaye — now says he interpreted the report's subtext as, «These are rapists trying to make a rape fantasy.»At the time the allegations were first published, Tesfayeresponded by sharing a clip from the show in which his character deems «irrelevant.» «I thought the article was ridiculous,» Tesfaye tells. «I wanted to give a ridiculous response to it.»Meanwhile, Tesfaye remains unapologetic about the source material for the show.

The Weeknd is speaking out.

The Weeknd has changed his name across social media, following comments that he wanted to “kill” his alter-ego.The Canadian pop star rolled out the new title on his social media platforms yesterday (May 15), and now goes by his birth name Abel Tesfaye, instead of The Weeknd.He first posed the idea to his fans and followers on Twitter last month (April 3), when he shared an update reading: “ABEL formally known as The Weeknd?”. Currently, the tweet has over 124,000 likes and a substantial amount of replies, with fans sharing their thoughts on the change of name.The R&B singer also announced his intentions to switch names earlier this month, when he admitted that he wanted to “close The Weekend chapter”, and continue his creative endeavours under the new title.​​”I’m going through a cathartic path right now… It’s getting to a place and time where I’m getting ready to close The Weeknd chapter,” he told W Magazine.

Earlier this month (May 8), The Weeknd revealed he would be working on his final album under his stage name in this month's W Magazine cover story, hinting he was thinking of releasing music under a new moniker.

The Weeknd appears to be getting ready to move on. The musician and now actor has changed his name on social media to Abel Tesfaye, the name he was born with. He’s still retained his social media handles.Jenna Ortega and The Weeknd set to star in new film: Here’s everything we knowLily-Rose Depp reveals relationship with rapper Danielle BalbuenaA post shared by Abel Tesfaye (@theweeknd)Tesfaye hasn’t revealed why he’s made the change, but he’s been speaking to the press about his upcoming series, “The Idol,” which he co-created and co-stars.

A certain pop-star might be making rebranding himself. The Weeknd made a noticeable change on his social media which is causing fans to ask: Is The Weeknd retiring? 

The Weeknd was serious about saying goodbye to his stage name.

HBO series The Idol has revealed how The Weeknd – real name Abel Tesfaye – first pitched the idea of the show to him.Speaking to W Magazine, Levinson recalled: “Abel came to us with a pitch. He said something that I’ll always remember: ‘If I wanted to start a cult, I could.’ What he meant is that his fans were so loyal and devoted that they would follow him anywhere.

Charna Flam Ahead of the Cannes Film Festival debut and summer premiere of Sam Levinson’s upcoming drama series “The Idol,” the director offered some insight on how the HBO production was conceived. The “Euphoria” showrunner explained how the series lead, Abel Tesfaye, also known as The Weeknd, pitched the premise. “Abel came to us with a pitch,” Levinson told W Magazine. “He said something that I’ll always remember: ‘If I wanted to start a cult, I could.’” “What he meant is that his fans were so loyal and devoted that they would follow him anywhere,” Levinson continued. “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.”

The Weeknd is bidding to purchase NHL team the Ottawa Senators, according to the Ottawa Sun and Star. It is reported that Abel Tesfaye is part of a group, alongside Jeffrey and Michael Kimel of the Harlo Capital Group, seeking to gain a controlling stake in the company.

The Weeknd has recently said that he wants to get rid of his alter-ego, saying that he ” wants to kill The Weeknd.”In a recent interview with W Magazine alongside his The Idol co-star Lily-Rose Depp, The Weeknd made it known that he wants to continue with his creative endeavours, only under his real name, Abel Tesfaye.The Canadian singer told the interviewer that he’s on “a cathartic path right now” and is “getting to a place and a time where [he’s] getting ready to close The Weeknd chapter”.While he might be moving to switch between his moniker and his real name, he’ll eventually “try to shed that skin and be reborn.”Lily-Rose Depp and The Weeknd cover the latest issue of W Magazine pic.twitter.com/r2OayOVI7L— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) May 8, 2023Speaking about his new music, he said: “The album I’m working on now is probably my last hurrah as the Weeknd. This is something that I have to do.