The Weeknd Showbiz and Celebrity Breaking News

The Weeknd is about to make his first foray into TV with HBO‘s The Idol, a new drama premiering today (June 4).Created by Euphoria’s Sam Levinson, Reza Fahim and Tesfaye, the series 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.Back in April, it was reported that the series underwent reshoots and was “adjusting” its cast and crew to serve a new direction. The show had already shot in and around Los Angeles, but many of the reshoots took place in Tesfaye’s personal mansion in Bel Air.The artist purchased the 33,000-square-foot property — which sits on a 1.6-acre plot of land — in 2021 for $70 million (£56million).

highly-anticipated HBO drama finally dropped last night, and the premiere episode has left viewers aghast.The jaw-dropping pilot’s sexually explicit 60 minutes is full of scenes showing Depp’s character aggressively masturbating and going nude for a photo shoot.Watchers across social media have scourged the series, touching upon Depp and Tesfaye’s acting skills — and a whole lot more.“#THEIDOL sucks. Bad dialogues, nudity,” wrote one Twitter user, conceding that Depp’s performance was “impressive.”Not everyone was so impressed. “Lily Rose Depp can’t act.

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.

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.

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.

New Music Friday! The weekend is here, which means more streaming, new playlists and the best that music has to offer. ET has you covered for everything in between.Kelly Clarkson leads this week's releases with her new single, «I Hate Love,» which features banjo playing from Steve Martin.

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.

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.

After months of drama and mostly negative reviews coming from its highly-publicized Cannes debut, HBO’s newest series, “The Idol,” is finally hitting TV screens later this week.  And in honor of the series finally making its debut, HBO has released a trailer for “The Idol,” which is definitely the buzziest show of the summer. The series follows the story of a pop star who falls under the influence of a creepy nightclub owner.

for minutes of applause. So entrenched is this French farce that trade publications routinely time the euphoria and judge the response to the new films based on the length of the cheering at the Grand Théâtre Lumière. Cannes’ longest-ever roar? Guillermo del Toro’s “Pan’s Labyrinth,” which premiered there in 2006, at 22 minutes. This year’s fest is in full swing, and so is the ceaseless hand-slapping.Here are Cannes’ standing ovations so far, from triumphant to tepid.The most ecstatic response to a film so far at this year’s festival, which runs until May 27, was for Martin Scorsese’s latest drama. The historical movie from Apple and Paramount brings together two popular Scorsese stalwarts, Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro, plus last year’s Best Actor Oscar winner Brendan Fraser and Jesse Plemons.

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.

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.

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 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? 

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.

Jennie of K-pop girl group BLACKPINK has seemingly teased an unreleased collaboration with her The Idol co-star The Weeknd.Yesterday (May 10), the singer held a launch party in South Korea for her new capsule collection for fashion brand Calvin Klein. In attendance at the event were Jennie’s close friends and DJ duo sisters Simi Khadra and Haze Khadra, who also spun a few songs for the party.Halfway through the viral TikTok hit ‘Boy’s A Liar Pt.

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.

In the months leading up to the release of HBO’s new musical drama, “The Idol,” most of the discussion has little to do with the footage that has been shown. Instead, everyone is talking about the behind-the-scenes drama surrounding the making of the show, including the massive challenge of reshooting the entire season midway through production.

The Weeknd as the world knows him — could be coming to an end!In the latest edition of, the singer — whose real name is Abel Tesfaye — hints that his run as his longtime stage persona could be coming to an end.«I’m going through a cathartic path right now,” the „Starboy“ musician says inside of the magazine. „It’s getting to a place and a time where I’m getting ready to close the Weeknd chapter. I’ll still make music, maybe as Abel, maybe as The Weeknd.

The Weeknd has addressed the production troubles on his upcoming HBO series The Idol, describing the show’s overhaul as a “challenge”.Set to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival later this month, The Idol follows aspiring pop singer Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp) who falls into a complex relationship with self-help guru and cult leader Tedros (Abel Tesfaye aka The Weeknd).The series, created by Tesfaye, Reza Fahim and Euphoria’s Sam Levinson, underwent an overhaul in April 2022 after a rough-cut was completed. This led to various changes in the cast and crew, including the departure of director Amy Seimetz.According to an interview with Tesfaye and Levinson with W Magazine, the singer was concerned the dynamic between his cult figure character and Jocelyn in the original cut was “not as complex” as they had envisioned, which led to a “pivot”.“Film and TV is a new creative muscle for me,” Tesfaye told the outlet. “I don’t release my music until I think it is great.

Next month will bring the arrival of The Idol, the debut series by The Weeknd, to HBO. In a new interview with W Magazine, Abel Tesfaye has suggested that his move into film and TV has coincided with what he sees as the end of his music-making career, at least in some capacity. Speaking about where he is at creatively at the moment, Tesfaye told the magazine in a new cover story, "I’m going through a cathartic path right now.

The Weeknd has once again paired up with producer Mike Dean for four new tracks that appear on the latter’s new album ‘4:23’ – check them out below.‘4:23’ was released yesterday (April 28) and is Dean’s fourth studio album, following on from 2020’s ‘4:22’.The Weeknd (real name Abel Tesfaye) served as executive producer on the album and features on four tracks: ‘Artificial Intelligence’, ‘Defame Moi’, ‘More Coke!!’, and ‘Emotionless’ (which he also co-wrote).Check it out below. Dean and Tesfaye have worked together on numerous projects including The Weeknd’s 2015 album ‘Beauty Behind The Madness’ as well as ‘Where You Belong’, which was written for the Fifty Shades Of Grey soundtrack.More recently, the pair collaborated on ‘Double Fantasy’, the Future-led track lifted from upcoming HBO series The Idol, which both Dean and Tesfaye will star in.Album “4:23” @therealmikedean, co-produced by @theweeknd TONIGHT pic.twitter.com/9mJU9qGg3N— The Weeknd News (@NewsWeeknd) April 27, 2023The Idol also features Lily-Rose Depp, Moses Sumney, Hank Azaria, and Jennie of BLACKPINK.Rolling Stone did a report on the series mid-production and wrote that The Idol was “torture porn”. 13 anonymous sources from the show’s cast and crew have spoken out on the production of the anticipated series, calling it “a shitshow”.Tesfaye, Depp and HBO all responded to the claims, with The Weeknd tweeting, “Did we upset you?” alongside a clip from the show of him and Depp’s characters denouncing the magazine..@RollingStone did we upset you? pic.twitter.com/Uyx06lyRgx— The Weeknd (@theweeknd) March 1, 2023The series will premiere at this year’s Festival De Cannes and is set to be released on June 4.

The Weeknd has said he didn’t think he was “marketable” when he first began his music career.The artist, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, was talking to Interview magazine about his reasons for hiding his identity when he first began releasing music on YouTube back in 2010.“I wanted to be very calculated about how I wanted people to see me or hear my music. The initial reason I did that was I didn’t think I was marketable when I was younger, especially for R&B. I didn’t think I had the right look,” he explained.“The R&B look was very sexual back in the day.

The Weeknd and Future have released the new collaborative single k ‘Double Fantasy’ for the soundtrack to new HBO drama The Idol.The track is the first to be released from the official soundtrack of the new HBO Max series The Idol. The Weeknd co-created the show with Sam Levinson and Reza Fahim, and is said to be “one of HBO’s most provocative” shows yet.‘Double Fantasy’ is a darkened space pop track where The Weeknd – real name Abel Tesfaye – sings about a toxic relationship.

A song utilizing AI-generated vocals to impersonate Drake and The Weeknd has been removed from streaming platforms, Stereogum notes, but not until the track found significant viral success. The song, “heart on my sleeve” by ghostwriter, was streamed hundreds of thousands of times before it was pulled on April 17.

Drake and The Weeknd from all streaming platforms. Check it out below.The track was called ‘Heart On My Sleeve’ and was the latest viral song where AI technology was used to mimic the voice and style of popular artists.

“torture porn” — is here.The “Blinding Lights” history-maker, 33, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, portrays shady nightclub owner Tedros, who becomes obsessed with Jocelyn, an up-and-coming pop star played by “nepo baby” Lily-Rose Depp, 23. “When was the last truly f – – king nasty, nasty bad-pop girl?” asks Jocelyn’s friend Caleb, portrayed by singer Troye Sivan, 27, as she poses for a sexy photo shoot in the teaser.

The Idol, a new TV show from The Weeknd, Reza Fahim, and Euphoria creator Sam Levinson, will debut this summer, it has been confirmed. The series will launch on HBO and the recently-renamed streaming service Max, on June 4.

On the heels of Harry Styles’ highly publicized pivot to acting and Taylor Swift’s already-infamous cameo in David O. Russell’s latest flop “Amsterdam,” another major pop star is throwing their hat in the acting ring.