A Guide to the Cringiest Sex Scenes From HBO’s Controversial Series ‘The Idol’

The Idol, Euphoria creator Sam Levinson and Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye's recently-wrapped five-episode series about a pop star seduced by a cult leader, you probably know that the original idea for the show was pretty different from what viewers ended up seeing. The final product is glossy, graphic, and dark.

HBO’s controversial “The Idol” said goodbye to the weird, controversial world inhabited by wannabe pop star Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp) and her creepy mentor, the rat-tail sporting Tedros (Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye), after the show’s fifth and final episode, “Jocelyn Forever.” After struggling under ex-pimp/cult leader/star maker Tedros — Tesfaye is a co-creator of the show, along with Sam Levinson (“Euphoria”) and Reza Fahim — last night was all about Jocelyn demonstrating her power. Dwindling audiences of the show, said to have contributed “the worst sex scene in history” in an earlier episode, we are finally given access to the badass, pop diva lurking underneath, ready to strike with the same venom being poured into her by Tedros and company.Jocelyn, it turns out, is ruthless.The shift in power balance is clear from the start — while everyone gathers at Jocelyn’s house for a tour meeting, a disheveled Tedros is kicked out of Jocelyn’s life, seemingly forever.

has taken its final bow.The controversial HBO series — written and directed by creator Sam Levinson — wrapped up its five-episode run on Sunday, with a jaw-dropping finale titled «Jocelyn Forever.»The episode began with Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp) calling out Tedros (Abel "The Weeknd" Tesfaye) as a «con man and a fraud,» claiming he had been obsessed with her for years before they met at his club. Despite telling him to leave and saying the other members of their group can stay, Tedros remains at her estate and attends a meeting with her record label to discuss her tour. With the meeting and tour in jeopardy, the label agrees to listen to performances from other members of the group and it's a success.

Ellise Shafer For Moses Sumney, being cast in Sam Levinson’s controversial HBO series “The Idol” was, as he tells Variety, “strangely cosmic.” The singer-songwriter — whose two studio albums, “Aromanticism” and “Græ,” were released to critical acclaim — first came into contact with Levinson when he synced Sumney’s song, “Me in 20 Years,” for Rue’s special episode of “Euphoria” in late 2020. Sumney, who had been taking virtual acting classes during the COVID-19 pandemic, then found himself auditioning for the role of Elliot (Dominic Fike) in Season 2 of the series. “I auditioned kind of on a whim, and it weirdly went really well and went pretty far until I think the powers that be were like, ‘So, I don’t know if he looks 16 years old,'” Sumney says with a laugh. “Then Sam called me and was like, ‘I love you so much as an actor, I’m gonna keep you in mind.’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, yeah, whatever, sure.'”

The Idol has received backlash for months for its nudity, sex scenes and portrayal of toxic masculinity, with many critics questioning its value. Now, the show’s star, Lily-Rose Depp, is defending the decisions of the show. «We know that we’re making something provocative and we are not shying away from that. That’s something I knew I was setting out to do from the beginning,» she tells  in an interview for the July cover story.

controversial sex scenes and nudity — and Lily-Rose Depp is defending the “nasty” scenes after viewers branded it as “torture porn.”The HBO series — created by Sam Levinson (“Euphoria”), Reza Fahim and Abel Tesfaye (a k a The Weeknd) — follows pop star Jocelyn (Depp, 24, daughter of Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis) and her strange and raunchy relationship with nightclub owner and cult leader Tedros (Tesfaye, 33).It has been slammed for its graphic sex scenes and has garnered controversy for behind-the-scenes mess. In March, Rolling Stone reported that sources on the production described a chaotic filming environment, and called it “torture porn” and “rape fantasy.”But Depp is shutting down the criticism, saying the sex scenes in the show are “important” and “intentional.”“We know that we’re making something provocative and we are not shying away from that.

The Weeknd and BLACKPINK‘s Jennie have shared a new song that appears in The Idol – listen to ‘One Of The Girls’ below.The Idol is made by Euphoria-creator Sam Levinson and follows the plot of a pop star (Lily-Rose Depp) who develops a controversial relationship with self-help guru and cult leader Tedros (Abel Tesfaye).Depp also appeared on two new The Weeknd songs ‘World Class Sinner/I’m A Freak’ and ‘The Lure’ from the show’s soundtrack, which were released earlier this month.Now, Tesfaye has teamed up with Jennie, who also appears in The Idol as one of Depp’s backup dancers, Dyanne, for a new track.Listen to ‘One Of The Girls’ below.The first single taken from the HBO drama was titled ‘Double Fantasy’, and hears The Weeknd (now going by his birth name Abel Tesfaye) team up with Future. Like ‘The Lure’, the collaborative single featured production from The Weeknd and Mike Dean, and arrived accompanied by a music video that featured clips from the show.More recently the singer-songwriter and actor released the single ‘Popular’, which saw him join forces with Playboy Carti and queen of pop, Madonna.

Sam Levinson‘s latest series “The Idol” hit HBO two weekends ago after its world premiere at Cannes in May, and the critical response is …not good. In fact, most critics think it’s a trainwreck of a show, which isn’t surprising given the stories that leaked during its production.

The Weeknd is responding to backlash surrounding his sex scenes in the latest episode of .The singer, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, opened up about the controversial moment in the second episode of the series in a new interview with . While the scene sees his character, Tedros and Lily-Rose Depp's Jocelyn get intimate on screen, Tesfaye said there's nothing «sexy» about it.«There's nothing sexy about it. When we use  as a reference, we're using Verhoeven.

The Weeknd is responding to the backlash surrounding that graphic sex scene on his controversial new show “The Idol”.

The Weeknd, real name Abel Tesfaye, is facing backlash from the internet due to his role in a highly explicit sex scene in new HBO series The Idol.The singer plays a cult-like club owner who preys on a vulnerable pop icon struggling to create new music after the death of her mother.The controversial scene that has rubbed viewers up the wrong way shows The Weeknd's character, Tedros, firing off sexually graphic commands to Jocelyn, played by Lily Rose Depp, as she strips on her bed.The show, which has been described as a “rape fantasy,” has been facing criticism since it aired, with many people believing that this particular scene was in poor taste and crossed boundaries. One Twitter user claimed that she would “never see The Weeknd the same after this.” Another user wrote: “It sounds better when he is singing these lines.

The Weeknd is addressing that very awkward sex scene from episode two of The Idol.

The Weeknd is addressing his highly talked about moments in The Idol, and apparently they’re all part of the plan…

Ethan Shanfeld SPOILER ALERT: This story contains minor spoilers from the second episode of HBO’s “The Idol,” titled “Double Fantasy,” now streaming on Max. If that sex scene at the end of Episode 2 of HBO’s “The Idol” made you uncomfortable, then Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye accomplished his goal. Tesfaye, who co-created “The Idol” with “Euphoria’s” Sam Levinson, spoke with GQ after the scene, which features his character Tedros verbally seducing pop star Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp), sparked controversy online. “There’s nothing sexy about it,” Tesfaye told GQ. “However you’re feeling watching that scene, whether it’s discomfort, or you feel gross, or you feel embarrassed for the characters. It’s all those emotions adding up to: this guy is in way over his head, this situation is one where he is not supposed to be here.”

Save your criticism for another day. The Weeknd has claimed that his “nasty” sex scene with Lily-Rose Depp in the second episode of HBO’s “The Idol” is more pathetic than sensual. “There’s nothing sexy about it,” the “Blinding Lights” megastar, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, told GQ in an interview published Tuesday.

In defense of Jocelyn. Lily-Rose Depp and The Weeknd have been sharing their thoughts about the backlash to The Idol, which premiered on HBO in June 2023.

Hank Azaria is defending his new HBO drama, , following controversy over the show's nude scenes.Appearing on the third hour of the  show Tuesday, Azaria said «every care was taken,» a sentiment the show's star, Lily-Rose Depp has echoed in her defense of the series.«I was mercifully left out of the nude shenanigans personally, but I can tell you that I know Lily-Rose [Depp], who was the center of all that mainly, has said publicly and privately how protected and taken care of and collaborated with and listened to and safe she felt,» Azaria said. «I know every care was taken, not just with those kind of scenes, but there are many kinds of sensitive scenes in this show, and I certainly felt safe that way and collaborated with.» stars Depp as Jocelyn, an up-and-coming pop singer who is pressured and influenced by Tedros (The Weeknd), a charismatic cult leader/self-help guru who promises Jocelyn everything and will stop at nothing to make her famous.Azaria also referenced a  expose which claimed that production of the series had «gone wildly, disgustingly off the rails,» calling the outlet's report «ridiculous.»«It seemed to be in that piece connected to what they called the 'chaotic nature of the set,' and how it was really haphazard, and that I can tell you is ridiculous… I understand how certain people could feel that way.

creepin‘” out several viewers during the already controversial show’s second episode on Sunday.Fans of musician The Weeknd — born Abel Makkonen Tesfaye — claimed they will never be able to look at the superstar again after a “nasty” sex scene featuring the pop singer aired on the new HBO drama.The eye-popping scene saw the singer, who plays club owner and cult leader Tedros, and Jocelyn (played by Lily-Rose Depp) getting intimate with each other — in a way that rubbed viewers wrong.One Twitter user, who recorded and posted the scene online, claimed that she would “never see The Weeknd the same after this.” At one point during the steamy scene, a deadpanned Tesfaye, 33, says that he wants to “f–kin stretch that tiny, little p—y” while 24-year-old Depp’s character pleasures herself. Several other social media users also agreed with the sentiment.

William Earl SPOILER ALERT: This story contains spoilers from the second episode of HBO’s “The Idol,” titled “Double Fantasy,” now steaming on Max. The sophomore episode of “The Idol” has arrived, and following last week’s controversial and divisive series premiere, the stakes within the show have been raised. Troubled pop phenom Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp) has a tortured video shoot, and then later invites her love interest, cult leader Tedros (Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye) and some of his followers to her house for a night of debauchery. The sex, drugs and industry drama is amped up compared to the first episode in an hour of television sure to start online discourse.

Saturday Night Live’s Chloe Fineman is adding a new impersonation into her repertoire: Jocelyn from The Idol!