Serbian actor expelled from “White Lotus” due to Russian support

Milos Bikovic received Russian citizenship in 2021 and said the values ​​of his adopted country echoed his. Photo: SRJAN STEVANOVIC/GETTY IMAGES < p>HBO dropped a pro-Russian actor from the new series “White Lotus” after Ukraine accused him of supporting “genocide.”

The American TV channel said that Milos Bikovic, a Serbian the actor will no longer participate in it. will appear in the third season of the drama, which is set to begin filming this month.

An HBO spokesperson said: “We have decided to part ways with Milos Bikovic and the role will be recast.”

The decision to give the 36-year-old the role sparked fury in Kiev, which said the actor supported Russia's bloody invasion of his country and accepted awards from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who received Russian citizenship three years ago.

Last month The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs asked: “HBO, is that all?” Do you have the right to work with a person who supports genocide and violates international law?

'Targeted Campaign'

In a statement posted on Instagram, Mr Bikovic said a “targeted campaign” had been launched against him, “apparently as an external maneuver to influence decisions that could set a troubling precedent that obscures the essence of artistic freedom.”< /p>

He said: “The result of such a narrative is the triumph of the absurd and the defeat of art.”

Mr. Bikovich said that he could not take part in “The White Lotus” for “reasons beyond boundaries of art,» adding, «I will not submit to any narrative that compromises my integrity.»

In a video published last month, Ukraine's Foreign Ministry accused the actor of being a «mouthpiece for the Kremlin abroad,» saying he was trying to justify the «hostile takeover» of Crimea and eastern Ukraine by Russian troops.

< p>He quoted Mr Bikovich as saying that “Russia has accepted me since I first came here.”

He is reported to have said: “I have inherited Russian values ​​and they resonate with mine «.

The actor shakes hands with Vladimir Putin during the presentation of the Pushkin Medal in 2018

The actor has starred in a number of Russian films. Ukraine accused him of participating in productions filmed in Crimea after its annexation by Moscow in 2014.

On the Kremlin ceremony in 2018, Putin awarded him the Pushkin Medal, one of Russia's highest cultural honors. for his work in promoting the country's culture.

Elsewhere in his statement, Mr Bikovic spoke of growing up in a war-torn country. “I could never wish such devastation on anyone,” he said.

He said he wanted all the “heartbreaking” active conflicts in the world to stop and “the principles of love to prevail.”

The third series of the show will be set in Thailand and will air next year.

The first two episodes of «White Lotus» were set in Hawaii and Sicily and revolved around the antics of titled, wealthy guests and long-suffering staff serving them in five-star hotels.