Why was Miloš Biković removed from The White Lotus season 3? Ukrainian Foreign Office controversy explained

The White Lotus is a critically acclaimed series from HBO that follows groups of people staying at a luxurious resort across different venues in each season. The satirical-comedy anthology series features a new set of characters in each season except a few recurring characters.

In the latest development following the production of Season 3 of The White Lotus, it has been reported that Serbian-Russian actor Miloš Biković has been removed from the cast. As per an exclusive report by Deadline, The White Lotus began production for season 3 in February 2024 after it had been delayed due to the SAG-AFTRA strikes.

However, when HBO announced Miloš Biković as part of the cast for season 3, they received backlash from the Ukrainian foreign affairs office. The Ukrainian foreign ministry cited that Miloš Biković is a supporter of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Almost a month after his appointment to the cast of The White Lotus, HBO has now decided to part ways with him.

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HBO decided to remove Miloš Biković from the cast of The White Lotus Season 3 due to controversy raised by the Ukrainian government

On January 12, 2024, HBO announced that Miloš Biković would be a part of season 3 of The White Lotus. It elicited a response from the Foreign Affairs Office of Ukraine on X where they singled out HBO for seemingly supporting a person who supports Russia in their violence against Ukraine.

An excerpt from the post states,

" @HBO is it all right for you to work with a person who supports genocide & violates international law?"

The controversy was ignited since the post was accompanied by a video where Biković received a medal of honor from Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2018. The President honors the actor by calling him a "foreign mouthpiece" for the Kremlin.

Biković is part Serbian and part Russian and has held Russian citizenship since 2021. He has attended numerous panel discussions hosted by the Russian government and there are instances where he has collaborated with Russian entertainment artists who support the invasion of Ukraine.

As per reports by Deadline, HBO released a statement where they said,

"We have decided to part ways with Miloš Biković, and the role will be recast".

Following his departure from HBO, Biković released a statement lamenting the loss of artistic freedom due to political pressure. He said,

"Today, a targeted campaign has been unleashed against me, seemingly as an external maneuver to influence decisions that can create a disturbing precedent shadowing the essence of artistic freedom. The result of such a narrative is the triumph of absurdity and the defeat of art."

His statement further read,

"I was honored to be chosen to be a part of White Lotus, a TV series that I hold in high regard and with colleagues whom I deeply respect. However, my participation is not possible due to reasons beyond the realm of art and I will not bow to any narrative that seeks to compromise my integrity."

He was supposed to play the role of a flirtatious Russian yogi called Valentin in the upcoming season of The White Lotus. His role has been recast and actor Julian Kostov (known for his role in Shadow and Bones) is replacing him.

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The Russo-Ukrainian War is an ongoing conflict that began in 2014 and continues to date which has caused widespread destruction in the nation of Ukraine. HBO's decision to part with Miloš Biković for season 3 of The White Lotus is a gesture that shows HBO's support of the issue raised by the Ukrainian government.