The Weeknd has touched down in France. The music artist and actor is currently in Cannes, where his upcoming HBO drama The Idol with Lily-Rose Depp will debut, and he's not alone. The Weeknd, a.k.a. Abel Tesfaye, was spotted out with Simi Khadra, of the DJ Duo Simi & Haze — his rumored girlfriend since February 2022. The pair were photographed walking around Cannes ahead of the festival premiere of The Idol. Tesfaye, 33, was wearing white pants and a white t-shirt layered with an open black short-sleeve shirt, while Khadra, 30, wore a lime green dress, white purse, and flip-flops.
Coordinated Attire at Coachella
Last month the pair coordinated their attire in matching white outfits at Coachella, where they were photographed while holding hands. The Weeknd made a surprise appearance at the music festival, which he headlined in 2022, stopping by to join Metro Boomin for six songs. Khadra and Tesfaye were first linked together over a year ago, when they were spotted kissing during his 32nd birthday party at Delilah in Las Vegas.
The Idol Cast
The Idol marks the Weeknd's second on-screen acting role after his appearance in 2019's Uncut Gems. Aside from Tesfaye and Depp, the HBO series co-stars Dan Levy, Eli Roth, Hank Azaria, Blackpink's Jennie, Troye Sivan, Moses Sumney, Jane Adams, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Harif New, Ramsey and Rachel Sennott. Tesfaye co-created the show with Reza Fahim and Euphoria creator and director Sam Levinson. The show follows "a self-help guru and leader of a modern-day cult [that] enters a complicated relationship with a rising pop idol," according to its official description on IMDB.
Controversial Show
The show hasn't been without controversy, as in March 2023, 13 unnamed members of the show's cast and crew alleged to Rolling Stone that Levinson's scripts contained. In a statement, HBO countered the claims and said,
"disturbing sexual and physically violent scenes between Depp and Tesfaye's characters. 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 alluded to the reported drama on Instagram with a never-before-seen clip from The Idol that poked fun at Rolling Stone. In it, his and Depp's characters refer to the outlet as "irrelevant" and "past its prime." After Tesfaye shared the video, a source with knowledge of the production say, the footage had been filmed in 2022 but had not been seen by the public or Rolling Stone ahead of the article.
The Idol premieres on HBO June 4 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
