The boys are fightinggg!!! Mike White, the creator of HBO’s The White Lotus, isn’t one to mince words — and he proved it with a fiery response to composer Cristóbal Tapia de Veer’s very public departure from the show.
After Tapia de Veer aired his grievances in interviews last week, claiming creative clashes and long-standing tension with White, the showrunner took to The Howard Stern Show on April 8 to set the record straight — or at least his version of it.
“I don’t think he respected me,” White said during the interview. “He wants people to know that he’s edgy and dark, and I’m… I don’t know, I watch reality TV.” Literally the man was even on Survivor and The Amazing Race.
White went on to clarify that while Tapia de Veer has described their relationship as a feud, he doesn’t recall any dramatic blow-ups — just some emails where he gave notes.
“It was basically me giving him notes. I don’t think he liked to go through the process of getting notes from me or wanting revisions because he didn’t respect me,” White explained.
Tapia de Veer, known for crafting the iconic theme songs for the first three seasons of The White Lotus, announced last week that he wouldn’t be returning for season four.
In an interview with The New York Times, he claimed that creative differences with White had been brewing since season one. He revealed that White initially wasn’t sold on his experimental sound and wanted something more “chill and sexy” — a vibe Tapia de Veer described as “background music” akin to what you’d hear in Ibiza.
Despite these clashes, Tapia de Veer stuck to his guns and delivered the Emmy-winning tracks fans adore today. But by season three, things had apparently deteriorated further, with Tapia de Veer saying they’d had their “last fight forever”.
White didn’t hold back when addressing Tapia de Veer’s decision to air these grievances so publicly. “I knew he wasn’t a team player and that he wanted to do it his way,” White said.
“I was thrown that he would go to The New York Times to shit on me and the show three days before the finale. It was kind of a bitch move.”
He also reflected on how Tapia de Veer’s rising fame — viral success and Emmy wins — may have contributed to the breakdown in their collaboration.
“By the time the third season came around, he didn’t want to go through the process with me or attend sessions. He would always look at me with this contemptuous smirk on his face like he thought I was a chimp or something.”
Tapia de Veer has defended his decision to leave, admitting in interviews that there were creative struggles but expressing pride in his contributions to the show’s success. He even revealed that fans’ beloved “ooh-loo-loo-loos” were cut from season three’s theme at White’s insistence — a move that disappointed both him and viewers.
While Tapia de Veer posted a full version of the song featuring those vocalisations online, White allegedly shut down any efforts to release it officially.
You can have a cheeky listen here:
White wrapped up his take with a farewell: “Have fun with whatever you’re doing next.” Translation? Don’t let the door hit you on your way out.
Lead image: Getty Images
The post Mike White Slams Behind The Scenes Drama On The White Lotus: ‘Bitch Move’ appeared first on PEDESTRIAN.TV .
