Lorde Defends Controversial ‘White Lotus’ Season 3 Incest Plot: “You Guys Are All Prudes”

Lorde recently shared her thoughts on the shows she watched this year, and one comment in particular caught a lot of attention.

In an interview for New York Magazine’s first “Culturati 50 Issue,” the singer talked about a handful of titles she managed to fit into her busy year. Among them was the third season of The White Lotus, which she said had a storyline she enjoyed more than most viewers did.

According to the magazine, Lorde said she watched only a few shows in 2025, but she never misses The White Lotus. She explained that she has followed every season and still finds the series exciting because it feels like something everyone talks about at the same time. While sharing her thoughts, she brought up one plot from season three that sparked controversy among fans.

The singer surprised readers by saying she had fun watching it. “I loved the incest story line,” she admitted. She also joked about the backlash the plot received, saying, “You guys are all prudes. Come on. Let’s go for it. Bring the teeth! Freak us out, Mike!” referring to series creator Mike White.

The storyline she mentioned focused on two brothers, Lochlan and Saxon Ratliff. During an episode, the brothers share a kiss while drunk and high, and the next episode reveals that things went further after Saxon tries to recall the night before. As viewers saw, he slowly pieces together what happened through flashbacks and by talking to two young women who were with them. They casually tell him that his brother j***** him off.

Many fans were upset by how the show handled this moment. Viewers argued that the scene treated the situation lightly instead of showing the seriousness of it. The young women in the episode speak about it with no concern, even laughing while telling Saxon what happened. One of them even says, “Everyone has their thing – it’s fine,” which made many audiences feel the show was framing it as a simple mistake after a wild night rather than something harmful and traumatic.

Even though the brothers react with shock and disgust, critics and viewers said the moment wasn’t explored with enough depth. To many people, it looked like the show treated the incident the same way someone might treat a bad hookup after drinking too much, instead of recognizing that this was a disturbing situation involving siblings.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!