Sam Levinson Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Barbie Ferreira is opening up about her exit from last year.Back in August, the 26-year-old actress, who played Kat Hernandez on the first two seasons of the HBO teen drama, announced on her Instagram Story that she would not be returning for the third season. «After four years of getting to embody the most special and enigmatic character Kat, I'm having to say a very teary-eyed goodbye,» Ferreira wrote. «I hope many of you could see yourself in her like I did and that she brought you joy to see her journey into the character she is today.»«I put all my care and love into her and I hope you guys could feel it,» she continued before she ended her announcement with a sweet message to her character.

Barbie Ferreira has offered more of an explanation behind her decision to leave HBO’s Euphoria after the second season.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director “Euphoria” actor Barbie Ferreira opened up on the “Armchair Expert” podcast about exiting the Emmy-winning HBO series ahead of Season 3. Ferreira announced last August that she was moving on from “Euphoria” and would no longer star as Kat Hernandez. Her exit followed reports that she clashed with “Euphoria” creator Sam Levinson during Season 2 due to the direction of her character. Fans noticed Kat’s storyline was sidelined in Season 2, and one rumor claimed she even walked off set during a fight with Levinson. “So, for me, when people ask me about Season 2, it’s usually they come at me with, like, I was some sort of victim to Season 2 and I’m always like, ‘No, it’s okay, promise. It’s good,'” Ferreira said on the podcast. “I kind of got sucked into this drama that I never asked to be in and that I’ve never talked about. I’m of the mindset that if it doesn’t exit I’m not going to address it because then I’m adding fuel to it. It’s taken on a life of its own. Don’t believe everything you read.”

, Barbie Ferreira is breaking her silence on her departure.“I don’t think there was a place for her to go,” she said of her character, Kat, on  of Armchair Expert with Dax Shepherd. “I think there were places she could have gone. I just don’t think it would have fit into the show. I don’t know if it was going to do her justice, and I think both parties knew that I really wanted to be able to not be the fat best friend.

Barbie Ferreira is opening up about her exit from last year.Back in August, the 26-year-old actress, who played Kat Hernandez on the first two seasons of the HBO teen drama, announced on her Instagram Story that she would not be returning for the third season. «After four years of getting to embody the most special and enigmatic character Kat, I'm having to say a very teary-eyed goodbye,» Ferreira wrote. «I hope many of you could see yourself in her like I did and that she brought you joy to see her journey into the character she is today.»«I put all my care and love into her and I hope you guys could feel it,» she continued before she ended her announcement with a sweet message to her character.

Euphoria‘s Barbie Ferreira is opening up about why she decided to leave HBO’s smash-hit show Euphoria after only 2 seasons.

“Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard” podcast where she explained why she really decided to leave, while also addressing “toxic” set accusations and her much-rumored feud with show runner Sam Levinson.The Queens native portrayed Kat Hernandez on the teen drama and noted that she was tired of playing into “fat best friend” stereotypes. She added that it was a “mutual decision” for her to leave the series before Season 3, explaining that Kat’s character arc had run its course.“I don’t think there was a place for her to go,” Ferreira said.

Euphoria quickly became the “it” show of HBO in 2019, and the series has only gotten bigger as time goes on.

Emily Longeretta Amid a bit of drama surrounding HBO’s “The Idol,” the Weeknd-led series is in talks to debut at the Cannes Film Festival in May, multiple sources confirm to Variety. Star Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye previously attended Cannes Film Festival and is hopeful the show premieres there, according to one source, but the festival has not yet screened the drama, which has undergone a great number of changes behind the scenes. HBO is not commenting at this time. Though primarily a film festival, a handful of TV series have been brought to Cannes in the past, including “Twin Peaks: The Return” and “Top of the Lake: China Doll.”

Jenna Ortega is excited about working with The Weeknd.

 claiming that the production of  is having issues, the show's stars, The Weeknd and Lily-Rose Depp, and HBO are speaking out in defense of the project.On Wednesday, released a lengthy article claiming that the series — helmed by 's Sam Levinson — has «gone wildly, disgustingly off the rails» with regard to chaotic scheduling, going over budget and last-minute script changes and overhauls on graphically violent and sexual scenes.In response, The Weeknd — whose real name is Abel Tesfaye — shot back at the report, sharing a clip from the series, in which The Weeknd's character — a cult leader and self-help guru named Tedros — slams magazine for being «irrelevant.»The Weeknd threw additional shade in the caption, writing, "@rollingstone did we upset you?"A post shared by The Weeknd (@theweeknd) editor-in-chief Noah Shachtman replied to The Weeknd's message with two recent covers featuring the artist, writing, «Not at all!» Not at all! https://t.co/jKuDh7xAHQpic.twitter.com/TgLkYvsG9nIn the scene, Tedros is cozied up with pop star Joceyln (Lily-Rose Depp), as her publicist (Dan Levy) pitches the idea of Joceyln doing a photo shoot for the magazine."? Aren't they a little irrelevant?" Tedros asks, before pulling out his phone to look at their Instagram. " has six million followers on Instagram, half of them probably bots.

HBO and stars Lily-Rose Depp and Abel "The Weeknd" Tesfaye are defending upcoming music industry drama "The Idol" after an article alleged its production under director Sam Levinson has gone "wildly, disgustingly off the rails" and has turned into "torture porn."  Director Amy Seimetz, of "The Girlfriend Experience," was originally hired to helm the drama before leaving after shooting 80% of the six-episode limited series, and Sam Levinson of "Euphoria" was brought in, according to Rolling Stone.The article claimed Tesfaye, who is a co-creator of the show, felt Seimetz was leaning too much into the "female perspective" of the story.  However, sources told Variety that the outlet's insiders had not seen the finished product, which still reportedly represents a "female perspective." Meanwhile, the streaming service told Fox News Digital in a statement, "The creators and producers of ‘The Idol’ have been working hard to create one of HBO’s most exciting and provocative original programs.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 continued, "Throughout the process, the creative team has been committed to creating a safe, collaborative, and mutually respectful working environment, and last year, the team made creative changes they felt were in the best interest of both the production and the cast and crew.

The Weeknd, lead actress Lily-Rose Depp and HBO have responded to new reported allegations that production of the upcoming series The Idol has been a “shitshow”, as one source put it.In a new report from Rolling Stone, 13 anonymous sources from the show’s cast and crew spoke on the production of the anticipated series. They allege that The Idol, which is expected to premiere sometime this year, has been plagued by delays, rewrites and reshoots that took a turn for the worse with Euphoria showrunner Sam Levinson at the helm.Tesfaye has since responded to Rolling Stone’s report by tagging the publication in a clip from the show on Twitter.

 claiming that the production of The Weeknd's new HBO series,  is having issues, the singer-turned-actor has fired back at the publication.On Wednesday, released a lengthy article claiming that the show — created alongside s Sam Levinson — has «gone wildly, disgustingly off the rails» with regard to chaotic scheduling, going over budget and last-minute script changes and overhauls on graphically violent and sexual scenes.In response, The Weeknd — whose real name is Abel Tesfaye — shot back at the report Wednesday afternoon, sharing a clip from the series, in which The Weeknd's character — a cult leader and self-help guru named Tedros — slams magazine for being «irrelevant.»The Weeknd threw additional shade in the caption, writing, "@rollingstone did we upset you?"A post shared by The Weeknd (@theweeknd)In the scene, Tedros is cozied up with pop star Joceyln (played by Lily-Rose Depp), as her publicist (played by Dan Levy) pitches the idea of Joceyln doing a photo shoot for the magazine."? Aren't they a little irrelevant?" The Weeknd's Tedros asks, before pulling out his phone to look at their Instagram. " has 6 million followers on Instagram, half of them probably bots.

Ethan Shanfeld The Weeknd has responded to a report from Rolling Stone claiming that his upcoming HBO series “The Idol,” created with “Euphoria’s” Sam Levinson, has “gone wildly, disgustingly off the rails.” Posting a clip from the series to Instagram, Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye tagged Rolling Stone and wrote, “Did we upset you?” In the scene, a character played by Dan Levy pitches Tesfaye and Lily-Rose Depp’s pop star character Jocelyn to do a photo shoot for the cover of Rolling Stone. Tesfaye, who plays a modern-day cult leader named Tedros, says, “Rolling Stone? Aren’t they a little irrelevant? … Rolling Stone has 6 million followers on Instagram, half of them probably bots. And Jocelyn has 78 million followers, all real I’d assume. So she does a photo shoot, she tags them, they get her followers. More money for Rolling Stone, nothing for Jocelyn.”

Back in 2021, news first emerged that HBO had greenlit “The Idol”, an edgy satirical drama set within the Los Angeles music business, created by The Weeknd and “Euphoria” creator Sam Levinson.

The Weeknd is unbothered by the reports.

The Idol is the most controversial show in town, and it doesn't even have a premiere date yet. But maybe that's how the creators like it.

The Weeknd has landed his first starring role in a movie, which Oneohtrix Point Never will score.The film, which as yet is untitled, was co-written by the singer with director Trey Edward Shults and will also star Wednesday actor Jenna Ortega and The Banshees Of Inisherin‘s Barry Keoghan.It has also been confirmed that the movie will be soundtracked by Oneohtrix Point Never, who previously worked with Abel Tesfaye on his 2022 album ‘Dawn FM’ and remixed the title track.The Weeknd previously appeared in 2019’s Netflix movie Uncut Gems and he is set to appear in HBO series The Idol as a self-help guru, club owner and leader of a modern-day cult, who begins dating an up-and-coming pop artist played by Lily-Rose Depp. It was co-created with Euphoria creator Sam Levinson.Meanwhile, Tesfaye recently shared a remix of his 2016 song ‘Die For You’, featuring new vocals from longtime collaborator Ariana Grande.The song first appeared on the tracklist of The Weeknd’s third studio album, ‘Starboy’.

The Weeknd is turning his talents towards the world of film.

Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye is making his feature acting debut!

Brent Lang Executive Editor Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye will have his first starring role in a feature film that he wrote and is also producing. The picture, which is currently untitled and has been kept shrouded in mystery regarding its plot, genre and the like is being directed by Trey Edward Shults, the filmmaker behind “Waves” and “It Comes at Night.” Shults also co-wrote the movie and is executive producing it. We do know that it is shooting in Los Angeles, but aside from that the “logline is being kept under wraps.” Whether comedy or tragedy, action adventure or musical extravaganza, this impressively vague feature has lined up a top shelf cast. Beyond The Weeknd, a Grammy-winning recording juggernaut, the film also stars Jenna Ortega, the star of “Wednesday” and “Scream VI,” as well as Barry Keoghan, the Oscar-nominated actor from “The Banshees of Inisherin” and “The Killing of a Sacred Deer.”

EXCLUSIVE: In what would mark is acting debut in a feature film, Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye is teaming with Trey Edward Shults on a new untitled film as he is set to star along with Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan. Shults will direct from a script he co-wrote with Tesfaye and his producing partner Reza Fahim. Tesfaye, Fahim, Kevin Turen and Harrison Kreiss are producing with Shultz and Ortega exec producing.

Zendaya on a red carpet, and the wait is finally over. The 26-year-old made her grand return to the public eye at the 54th NAACP Image Awards on Saturday night. As stylish as ever, the actress stunned in a strapless black and green gown with a plunging-v neckline and a classic Old Hollywood silhouette. Zendaya also debuted a new color for her recent bob-length hair, going from her previous blonde to a chocolatey brown, styled in chic curls that fell just above her shoulders.Zendaya is nominated for Entertainer of the Year and Best Actress in a Drama for her role in the Sam Levinson-directed HBO series.

*WINNER.THEATRICAL FEATURE FILMTODD FIELD, TÁRJOSEPH KOSINSKI, Top Gun: MaverickDANIEL KWAN & DANIEL SCHEINERT, Everything Everywhere All at OnceMARTIN MCDONAGH, The Banshees of Inisherin    STEVEN SPIELBERG, The FabelmansFIRST-TIME THEATRICAL FEATURE FILM ALICE DIOP, Saint OmerAUDREY DIWAN, HappeningJOHN PATTON FORD, Emily the CriminalANTONETA ALAMAT KUSIJANOVIC, MurinaCHARLOTTE WELLS, AftersunDRAMATIC SERIESJASON BATEMAN, Ozark, “A Hard Way To Go”VINCE GILLIGAN, Better Call Saul, “Waterworks”SAM LEVINSON, Euphoria, “Stand Still Like the Hummingbird”AOIFE MCARDLE, Severance, “Hide and Seek”BEN STILLER, Severance, “The We We Are”COMEDY SERIESTIM BURTON, Wednesday, “Wednesday’s Child is Full of Woe”BILL HADER, Barry, “710N”AMY SHERMAN‑PALLADINO, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, “How Do You Get to Carnegie Hall?”CHRISTOPHER STORER, The Bear, “Review”MIKE WHITE, The White Lotus, “BYG”MOVIES FOR TELEVISION AND LIMITED SERIESERIC APPEL, Weird: The Al Yankovic StoryDEBORAH CHOW, Obi‑Wan KenobiJEREMY PODESWA, Station Eleven, “Unbroken Circle”HELEN SHAVER, Station Eleven, “Who’s There?”TOM VERICA, Inventing Anna, “The Devil Wore Anna”VARIETY/TALK/NEWS/SPORTS – REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAMMINGPAUL G.

EXCLUSIVE: Prime Video’s Hitchcockian thriller Holland, Michigan continues to round out its cast with the addition of Rachel Sennott (Bodies Bodies Bodies), Lennon Parham (Minx), Isaac Krasner (Power Book III: Raising Kanan) and Jeff Pope (Interview with the Vampire).

The Directors Guild of America has unveiled the television and documentary nominations for its 75th anniversary DGA Awards, which will be handed out next month.