White Lotus star Sam Nivola admits he broke very strict rule after signing NDA

The latest episode of The White Lotus finally dropped on Monday and it's clear fans were absolutely itching for the next instalment of the hit dramedy following last week's 'gross' incestuous episode.

Now, set in Thailand, the third season stars Natasha Rothwell, Jason Isaacs, and Aimee Lou Wood alongside Patrick Schwarzenegger who plays the eldest son, Saxon, of the wealthy Ratliff family, alongside siblings Piper and Lochlan, played by Sarah Catherine Hook and Sam Nivola respectively.

Things already got off to a weird start between Saxon and Lochlan in the very first episode, but things only amped up in episode five when the disturbingly inappropriate relationship between the two brothers came to a peak as they shared a passionate kiss in order to impress girls Chelsea (Wood) and Chloe (Charlotte Le Bon) on a night out - a scene which prompted many fans of The White Lotus to hit out over on social media.

But if you thought the passionate kiss was bad enough between the brothers, it then transpired in the episode that they had a threesome with Chloe which saw Lochlan 'jerk off' his very own brother. Yep...

Now, in an exclusive interview with Variety published on Sunday (23 March), Nivola has opened up about shooting the incestuous scene with his 'really good friend' Schwarzenegger and why it felt so 'f*cked up'.

In his confession, the 21-year-old actor also admitted that he broke a very strict rule after signing a nondisclosure agreement (NDA).

Before the controversial episode aired, the subsequent most recent sixth episode which came out on Monday (24 March), Nivola was asked if he told his family and friends about what happened to Lochlan.

"I told my parents, but I haven’t told my sister," he shared. "She’s bad at keeping secrets."

Patrick Schwarzenegger and Sam Nivola play brothers Saxon and Lochlan in The White Lotus (HBO)

Nivola went on to reveal: "I’m not supposed to have told anyone, because I’m under a lot of NDAs. But I told my girlfriend, because she was there while we were shooting it. That’s about it. I’m really scared about getting sued by HBO."

Elsewhere in the interview, Nivola opened up about what it was like filming such an intimate scene with Schwarzenegger, 31, who was playing his on-screen brother.

"We all just trusted each other, and that dynamic worked well," he said.

"In the scene, Patrick and I are brothers, with this girl who we just met like the day before. It was very weird kissing Patrick because he’s a really good friend of mine.

"And, you know, I’m straight, he’s straight. It’s already weird. It would have been easier if that was the first time we were meeting."

Nivola opened up about shooting the 'f*cked up' incestuous scene (HBO)

Nivola added: "Weirdly, it was easier to do things with Charlotte because there were no stakes. It’s just this person I’ve just met. But Patrick was already like a brother to me. It felt sort of f*cked up."

Explaining that an intimacy coordinator was used on set, Nivola also added that he trusted director Mike White 'so much'.

"Both of my parents are actors, and they’ve told me stories of having to do that kind of stuff without someone who has your best interests at heart, with directors who are maybe less supportive and kind and caring as Mike White," he resolved.

"I’m definitely happy they exist."

White Lotus is currently available to stream on NOW TV.