All the drama surrounding HBO's new show 'The Idol,' which has been described as 'torture porn.' Here's what The Weeknd, Lily-Rose Depp, and more have said.

Along with Reza Fahim, a former nightlife entrepreneur-turned-writer, the "Euphoria" creator and the Grammy award-winning singer created the series which revolves around an aspiring female pop star and an enigmatic LA club owner who secretly runs a cult akin to NXIVM.

Abel "The Weeknd" Tesfaye, who also co-wrote and served as executive producer, plays Tedros, the cult leader in question, while Lily Rose-Depp, in her television debut, plays up-and-coming singer Jocelyn.

The cast also includes Troye Sivan, Dan Levy, Eli Roth, Hank Azaria, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Jane Adams, Rachel Sennott, Hari Nef, and Moses Sumney. It also features Blackpink's Jennie and Anne Heche in her final role before her death.

The show was originally supposed to be an empowering story about a young starlet who fights to reclaim her agency after falling victim to the predatory powers of the music industry, but, according to a source quoted in Rolling Stone, this isn't what viewers will see.

One crew member, who was one of 13 to speak to the outlet about the production, said that when they joined the show it was "a dark satire of fame and the fame model" set against the backdrop of a "post-Trump world."

However, the source claimed it quickly devolved into the very thing it was supposed to be satirizing when director Amy Seimetz departed the show in April 2022 and Levinson took over as director and decided to give the series a "major creative overhaul."

Levinson is said to have decided to scrap almost all of what Seimetz, who has previously directed episodes of "The Girlfriend Experience" and "Atlanta," had shot in favor of starting again from scratch, according to Rolling Stone's sources.

When Levinson entered the director's chair, he decided to shift the tone drastically and dropped one of the show's stars, and filled his supporting cast with stars with "Bodies Bodies Bodies" breakout actor Rachel Sennott and K-pop star, Jennie.

Not only that, but the 38-year-old producer — who has previously been accused of creating a "toxic" work environment on "Euphoria" — dialed up the disturbing sexual content and nudity in the series, the report said.

Three sources that Rolling Stone spoke to alleged that Levinson wrote several scenes that verged into the territory of "rape fantasy" and were extremely disturbing to read.

Many of these scenes took place between Depp and The Weeknd's characters.

One scene that Levinson is claimed to have written saw Tedros bash Jocelyn's face as she smiled and asked to be beaten more, giving him an erection. This scene reportedly appeared in a draft script and was not filmed by the actors.

In another scene that was reportedly scrapped because it couldn't logistically be filmed, the sources claimed that Jocelyn was meant to carry an egg in her vagina, and would be penalized if she dropped or cracked it.

Both Deadline and Rolling Stone reported that The Weeknd was the reason behind the behind-the-scenes shakeup as he voiced his unhappiness with the creative direction of the show after Seimetz, at HBO's encouragement, contributed to the script and storyline during her time as director.

The Weeknd is said to have felt like the show was leaning too much into a "female perspective" and focusing on Depp's character too much.

"It was like the Weeknd wanted one show that was all about him — Sam was on board with that," a source told Rolling Stone.

However, as the outlet noted, there was difficulty making The Weeknd's character the show's primary focus during the reshoots as his availability was limited because of his already locked-in worldwide "After Hours Til Dawn" tour schedule.

"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," Depp said in a statement to Rolling Stone.

"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 continued, adding that the "Malcolm & Marie" director has "always created an environment in which I felt seen, heard, and appreciated."

"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," HBO said in a statement to Variety.

"Throughout the process, the creative team has been committed to creating a safe, collaborative, and mutually respectful working environment," HBO continued, adding that "last year, the team made creative changes they felt were in the best interest of both the production and the cast and crew."