The behind-the-scenes drama of The White Lotus seems just as chaotic as its on-screen plot twists. Recently, composer Cristobal Tapia De Veer opened up about his decision to leave the hit HBO series, revealing a dramatic fallout with the show’s creator, Mike White. In an interview with The New York Times, De Veer shared that his departure followed a “last fight” with White, which he claimed contributed to his decision to exit the show.
White, however, didn’t hold back in his response when interviewed by Howard Stern. He denied the notion that they had a major falling out, saying, “We never really even fought, except for maybe some emails.” He also called De Veer’s accusations a “b—h move,” further expressing his disappointment. White mentioned that he always knew De Veer was determined to do things his own way, but he was still taken aback by the composer’s choice to go public with his grievances just days before the season finale aired.
The source of the conflict, as explained by De Veer, was a disagreement over the show’s main title theme. De Veer wanted to release a full version of the theme, including a track from previous seasons that fans loved, but White didn’t agree. De Veer also accused White of treating him with disdain, claiming that White often looked at him with a “contemptuous smirk,” almost as if he thought De Veer was beneath him.
Despite these tensions, White admitted that De Veer is “very talented,” but he felt that he had to work incredibly hard to get De Veer to fully commit to the project. White concluded his comments by wishing De Veer well in his future endeavors, even though the parting between them was less than amicable.
