As the debut of his HBO series The Idol approaches, The Weeknd is opening up about the notorious article Rolling Stone ran about the show,  which called it “twisted torture porn” that has gone “wildly, disgustingly off the rails.”

When the article first ran, he responded to it by posting a clip from The Idol in which his character, Tedros, dismisses the magazine as irrelevant. Now, he tells Vanity Fair, “I thought the article was ridiculous. I wanted to give a ridiculous response to it.”

He adds that he disagrees with everything in the article, while acknowledging that Hollywood, which the show is about, is “a dark place” that “makes for great art.” However, he thought the article was, as the magazine notes, “an indictment of his character.” He tells Vanity Fair that he’s nothing like the guy he plays in the show: Tedros, a cult leader who uses sex to control people.

“I don’t do anything,” Weeknd points out. “I’m at home with my dog and my close friends and my family. I get myself out of trouble as much as I can. I try not to stay at the party too long, I’m not that guy.”

In the Vanity Fair interview, the singer also added fuel to the fire regarding his recent comment that he wants to “kill” his alter ego. Discussing his future ambitions, he says, “If I direct, that’s all I’m gonna do. I’m not going to be The Weeknd.”

When asked to comment on his pal’s statement, Weeknd’s childhood friend and creative director, La Mar Taylor, tells Vanity Fair, “Abel says a lot of things. But at the same time, I’m like, Dude, shut the f*** up.”

The Idol debuts June 4 on HBO.

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