The White Lotus creator Mike White has responded to comments made by composer Cristóbal Tapia de Veer, who recently confirmed he will not return for the show’s fourth season. During an appearance on The Howard Stern Show, White criticized the public nature of the composer’s exit and referred to the statements as “a bitch move.”
Tapia de Veer told The New York Times that his decision followed extended disagreements over changes to the series’ music, particularly during the third season. He said creative conflicts with White became increasingly difficult and were part of his reason for leaving the series.
“I honestly don’t know what happened, except now I’m reading his interviews because he decides to do some PR campaign about him leaving the show,” White said. “I don’t think he respected me. He wants people to know that he’s edgy and dark and I’m, I don’t know, like I watch reality TV.”
White said he never viewed the situation as a feud. “We never really even fought. He says we feuded. I don’t think I ever had a fight with him – except for maybe some emails,” he said. “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.”
He described a shift in working dynamics after the show’s music gained popularity. “By the time the third season came around, he’d won Emmys and he had his song go viral, he didn’t want to go through the process with me,” White said. “He didn’t want to go to sessions. He would always look at me with this contemptuous smirk on his face like he thought I was a chimp or something.”
White also commented on the timing of the composer’s statements. “I was thrown that he would go to The New York Times to shit on me and the show three days before the finale,” he said.
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In the same interview, White described his own efforts to maintain the working relationship. “I’ve never kissed somebody’s ass so hard to just get him to — to lead that horse to water,” he said.
The comments follow White’s earlier appearance on the show’s official podcast, where he responded to audience complaints about season 3’s pacing and tone. He used metaphorical language to describe his storytelling approach and dismissed feedback suggesting the series lacked a traditional plot.
Tapia de Veer won three Emmys for his work on The White Lotus. His music for the series became widely recognized during the show’s run.
