Behind-the-Scenes ‘White Lotus’ Feud Plagues Show Ahead of Season 3 Finale

A significant creative rift has developed between HBO’s acclaimed series The White Lotus and the musical mind behind its distinctive score. Award-winning composer Cristóbal Tapia de Veer has confirmed his departure from the hit show following mounting tensions with creator Mike White, according to multiple reports.

The Emmy-winning musician revealed to The New York Times that he informed the production team “a few months ago” about his decision not to return for the already-announced fourth season. “I didn’t tell Mike for various reasons; I wanted to tell him just at the end for the shock and whatever. Except I told the whole editorial team and music editor and producer and all that, but I didn’t think that they were going to tell him,” Tapia de Veer explained in the interview published April 2.

The discord centered primarily around the controversial modification of the series’ iconic theme music for Season 3, which stars Patrick Schwarzenegger, Walton Goggins, and Parker Posey. The removal of the signature “ooh-loo-loo-loo” melody from the opening credits generated disappointment among fans and became a flashpoint in their professional relationship.

“I texted the producer and I told him that it would be great to, at some point, give them the longer version with the ooh-loo-loo-loos, because people will explode if they realize that it was going there anyway,” the composer recounted. “He thought it was a good idea. But then Mike cut that—he wasn’t happy about that.”

The tensions reportedly date back to the show’s first season, with Tapia de Veer’s “super dark and edgy” compositional style clashing with White’s vision for something more “upbeat” and “clubby” – a sound that would evoke the atmosphere of vacation destinations like Ibiza. Rather than accommodating this direction, the composer maintained his distinctive approach, creating the unconventional soundtrack that ultimately became central to the series’ identity.

Describing their relationship to The New York Times, Tapia de Veer likened their dynamic to “a rock band I’ve been in before, where the guitar player doesn’t understand the singer at all.” He elaborated on this comparison, referencing the 1978 French film La Cage Aux Folles to illustrate their conflicting creative personalities.

Despite the friction, the composer expressed no regrets about the artistic choices that led to their parting of ways. “It was worth all the tension and almost forcing the music into the show, in a way, because I didn’t have that many allies in there,” he told the outlet, noting the critical acclaim his work received. “Maybe I was being unprofessional, and for sure Mike feels that I was always unprofessional to him because I didn’t give him what he wanted. But what I gave him did this, you know — did those Emmys, people going crazy.”

The third season’s extended 90-minute finale is scheduled to air on April 6. Meanwhile, HBO has already confirmed a fourth installment of the series, though details regarding the new resort location and cast remain undisclosed. The network has not yet announced who will compose the music for the upcoming season following Tapia de Veer’s departure.