“The Idol,” starring Johnny Depp’s daughter Lily Rose Depp and The Weeknd, has been criticized for going “overboard” with sex as the show’s stars defend their work.
HBO’s latest show premiered Sunday, taking over the prime time slot left open by the conclusion of “Succession.” However, fans didn’t seem impressed with the new drama.
“The idol was so creepy, no plot, just vibes (not good ones), all sex, and The Weeknd’s wig is so unserious,” one user wrote. “If it doesn’t get better I can’t believe this show got the prime time Sunday night HBO slot.”
“The Idol” follows an aspiring pop star who begins a relationship with a self-help guru and a cult leader. The show was created and written by Sam Levinson, also known for “Euphoria.”
Lily Rose Depp is the daughter of Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis. (Getty Images)
‘THE IDOL’ STARS THE WEEKND, LILY ROSE DEPP DEFEND UPCOMING ‘TORTURE PORN,’ ON-SET TOXICITY CLAIMS
The Weeknd and Lily Rose Depp star alongside each other in HBO’s latest “The Idol.” (Getty Images)
“Parading around violent sex and excessive nudity as ‘female liberation’… Sam Levinson I am PRAYING on your downfall!!! #THEIDOL,” another user added.
“#THEIDOL was cringe,” one user noted. “It was like one of those movies in the early 2000’s men got to make because they wanted to see their fave actresses nude or in sex scenes. Lily Rose Depp is such a great actress and this is reductive and sad. And The Weeknd cannot act. Cringe.”
Another user claimed the show “went overboard” with the sex scenes.
The Weeknd defended the show he created alongside Sam Levinson in a recent interview. (Paras Griffin via Getty Images)
However, the cast of “The Idol” defended the show’s provocative nature during the Cannes Film Festival.
“We always knew that we were going to make something that was going to be provocative and perhaps not for everyone. That was a draw for all of us,” Lily Rose told The New York Times. “I don’t think any of us were interested in making anything that was going to be, you know, fun for the whole family.”
The Weeknd agreed. “When I first started making music, it was the exact same thing,” he said. “It was provocative, and I knew it was going to be tough for people. And a lot of people didn’t like it. Not to compare it, but I feel that this is kind of like that again. This is not going to be for everybody, and that’s fine. We’re not politicians.”
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Lily Rose Depp called Sam Levinson the “best director” she’d ever worked with. (Getty Images)
Lily Rose previously praised Levinson as the “best director” she’d ever worked with in a statement shared with Fox News Digital.
“Never have I felt more supported or respected in a creative space, my input and opinions more valued,” she previously explained. “Working with Sam is a true collaboration in every way – it matters to him, more than anything, not only what his actors think about the work, but how we feel performing it. He hires people whose work he esteems and has always created an environment in which I felt seen, heard and appreciated.”
This isn’t the first time the show has seen criticism. The Rolling Stone published an article after interviewing 13 anonymous cast and crew members claiming the show was a “rape fantasy” and a “degrading love story with a hollow message.”
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