The White Lotus star speaks out in defence of Lochlan after brother scene sparks outrage

Actor Sam Nivola has come to the defence of the controversial brother-on-brother scene in the latest instalment of The White Lotus.

The show's followers had been speculating about a potential sexual encounter between the siblings since the premiere of season three, where Sam's character, the younger brother Lochlan, seemed to take an interest in his elder brother Saxon's (portrayed by Patrick Schwarzenegger) physique.

In the previous episode, the brothers shared a kiss, spurred on by characters Chloe (Charlotte Le Bon) and Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood), which nearly caused Patrick to "throw up".

In the most recent episode, as Lochlan became intimate with Chloe, he simultaneously engaged in sexual acts with Saxon.

The episode led to flashbacks and shocking realisations for both brothers, leaving viewers appalled.

Sam, aged 21, has spoken out in support of the contentious scene and his role. In an interview with Variety, he explained: "At the end of the day, Lochlan is not a creep, necessarily," reports the Daily Star.

He added: "Of course, I have to say that. You have to love your character. So, f*** it, I'll defend him!"

Explaining the character, he added: "I think he's incredibly misguided, and his circumstances have put him in a bad spot, but I don't think he's evil or malicious in any way.

"It's important to the story that he's not some psychopath."

Fans have been abuzz with theories that Lochlan might be questioning his sexuality, but actor Sam has cast a different light on his character's actions. He explained that Lochlan's bizarre behaviour is all down to him trying to emulate his brother Saxon, known as "the sex guy".

"The thing on the boat is Lochlan's tragically misguided attempt at being like, 'So you're the sex guy. Let's do something in that realm and try to connect in some way,'" Sam revealed. "It's obviously a big swing and a miss."

Viewers were left reeling from the bizarre scenes between the brothers, taking to social media to express their shock. One viewer exclaimed: "OMG I have been saying this family was psychosexually obsessed with each other for weeks! It's so weird the brothers did that OMG disgusting."

Another shocked fan said: "Everyone involved with this show is just going straight to hell because what the f***."

While another person said: "The brothers storyline this episode made me so uncomfortable I had to skip some parts."

A fourth person said: "How long is the scene with the brothers because I don't know if I want to see that I'm sorry."

With only two episodes of the season remaining, tensions are running high and questions abound as to whether the unresolved issues between the brothers will lead to one of them meeting a grisly end, hinted at in the season's opening episode.