The Weeknd's Scandalous Journey: Allegations of Objectification to Identity Theft Claims

Abel Tesfaye famously known as The Weeknd has dominated international charts for several years and is adored by millions of admirers. There is no disputing that the singer will be remembered as one of this generation's most successful musicians.

However, like many great pop stars, The Weeknd has also experienced controversy at various points in his life, from his own singing career to his part in the divisive HBO program The Idol. Here we take a look at the instances of the singer’s problematic past. 

The Idol controversy 

Ahead of its release, Rolling Stone exposed the drama that occurred behind the scenes during the making of The Idol. According to the magazine, the show's female director, Amy Seimetz, was fired as a result of artistic disagreements, and her departure also represented a shift away from the female focus of the program.

(A still from The Idol | Image: YouTube)

Later, when the show finally debuted on HBO, director Sam Levinson and co-creator Tesfaye drew criticism for the severe portrayals of sexual violence and graphic female nudity. 

Accused of stealing stage name

Tesfaye reportedly collaborated with music producer Jeremy Zodiac Rose in a musical partnership before becoming known as a solo artist under the stage name The Weeknd. Rose claimed that although he worked with Tesfaye on his breakthrough album House Of Balloons and helped shape the artist's distinctive sound, he was neither given credit nor paid for it.

Public feud with Drake

From posting the Starboy singer's music on his OVO blog in 2011, including him on his Take Care album to inviting him out during many performances and tours, Drake is credited for establishing The Weeknd's career. Drake even made plans to add The Weeknd to his OVO Sound record label. However, Tesfaye joined Republic Records in 2012. Since then, the two stars have been seen taking indirect digs at each other. 

Physical assault against police officer

Tesfaye was detained in Las Vegas in January 2015 after hitting a policeman who had been dispatched to the scene of a confrontation between the singer and another individual. He was charged with battery on a protected person and entered a no-contest plea, which allowed him to avoid going to jail.

Accused of plagiarism

The Weeknd, his producers, and music companies were named in a 2015 lawsuit by Cutting Edge Music Limited for allegedly stealing the bassline for the song The Hill from the 2013 science fiction film The Machine. Again in 2023, Suniel Fox and Henry Strange claimed that Tesfaye's Call Out My Name was "strikingly and/or substantially similar, if not identical" to their song from that year, Vibeking.

Accused of misogyny and biphobia

Due to their subject matter, The Weeknd's unabashedly sexual lyrics are frequently thought to be misogynistic. The Weeknd frequently refers to women as "b-tches" and discusses having sex with them in his songs.

(A file photo of The Weeknd | Image: Instagram)

The Weeknd was charged with escalating his lyrical sexism by advocating violence towards bisexual women in his 2019 song Lost In The Fire. In it, he sings, “You said you might be into girls, you said you’re going through a phase, Well, baby, you can bring a friend, she can ride on top your face while I f**k you straight.”

People thought Tesfaye was implying that a male could coerce a bisexual lady into becoming heterosexual with these lyrics.