‘The Idol’ Episode 2 Controversial Moments: Jocelyn Shoots the Music Video From Hell and Has a X-Rated House Party

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.'”

Da’Vine Joy Randolph, who stars as Destiny in “The Idol” — Jocelyn’s (Lily-Rose Depp) manager — opens up on why co-creator Sam Levinson took over the much-discussed series and the likelihood of a second season.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Chief Correspondent On “The Idol,” Da’Vine Joy Randolph brings a rare bit of heart to the much-discussed show. Playing Destiny, Jocelyn’s (Lily-Rose Depp) manager, the actor portrays one of the only stabilizing forces surrounding the sexualized pop star who has been wrapped up in a dangerous world, led by wannabe musician and cult leader Tedros (Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye). Randolph was hand-picked by “Idol” co-creator Sam Levinson after the “Euphoria” creator took over the show during a complete overhaul in which he shot it again, after an initial version helmed by Amy Seimetz was completely scrapped, Randolph says. Controversy began before the show even premiered, with a Rolling Stone article that claimed production on “The Idol” had gone “disgustingly off the rails” and that Levinson’s version played like “twisted torture porn.”

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.

After weeks of bad-mouthed reviews and criticism, HBO’s “The Idol” season 1 has been shortened from six episodes to five.

The Idol will end its first season this Sunday, July 2. The news has come as a surprise to some, with The Weeknd and Sam Levinson's HBO series first described as featuring six episodes when it was ordered to series in November 2021.

The HBO series The Idol has been airing for just four weeks… and the show is already about to wrap up season one.

The Idol is heading towards its season finale.

Ethan Shanfeld “There is some kinky-ass shit in this house,” says Destiny in the fourth episode of HBO’s “The Idol,” apparently assuming the role of this series’ viewers. “This shit is weird, scary shit.” As the Weeknd’s Tedros tightens his grip on Lily-Rose Depp’s Jocelyn — both metaphorically and literally, with his hands around her waist in the studio — her managers, played by Da’Vine Joy Randolph and Hank Azaria, plot to save their troubled client from the predatory nightclub mogul. At the beginning of the episode, Destiny (Randolph) and Chaim (Azaria) run through Tedros’ rap sheet, which is full of violence and abuse charges. Oh, and his real name is Mauricio Costello Jackson.

Note: This story contains spoilers from the “The Idol” episode 4.With only two episodes left in its five-episode season, HBO’s “The Idol” is giving “Euphoria” a run for its money as the questionable relationship between rebounding pop star Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp) and shady nightclub owner Tedros (Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye) gets even more twisted.Last week’s episode left off with Jocelyn divulging her newfound friends about the abuse she faced from her mother, who would use a hairbrush to hit her when she was disobedient, using it as a correcting tool when Jocelyn didn’t exercise, flirted with someone she didn’t like or did anything not up to her mother’s standards. After hearing these painful memories, Tedros instructed Jocelyn to get the hairbrush, explaining they must work through the trauma to come out stronger.By episode 4, titled “Stars Belong to the World,” Tedros has taken over even more of Jocelyn’s decisions as Dyanne, Jocelyn’s backup dancer and friend, slides into the spotlight even more.Keep reading to get the full picture of just how much “The Idol” has intensified by its second to last episode of the season.

Rolling Stone reported that the new series from “Euphoria” creator Sam Levinson was plagued with production delays and last-minute script rewrites — accusations that HBO vehemently denied. The production also underwent significant reshoots after former director Amy Seimetz exited the project as Levinson took the reins, which was when Randolph said she entered the series.“To my knowledge, there were two versions … [and] I came in the second time around when it was Sam helming it,” Randolph said.

After its HBO debut, The Idol quickly made waves for its controversial sex scenes and cringy storytelling.

“The Idol” continues to ruffle viewers’ feathers.

Katcy Stephan SPOILER ALERT: This story contains spoilers from the second episode of HBO’s “The Idol,” titled “Daybreak,” now streaming on Max. The third episode of “The Idol” is here, and it further pushes the show’s already-salacious story, with a disturbing scene at the end that illustrates how thoroughly Jocelyn is under Tedros’ control. “Daybreak” opens with the rat-tailed Tedros (Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye) taking Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp) out for a shopping spree and performing oral sex on her in the backseat of a convertible driven by her assistant Leia (Rachel Sennott). As he picks out skimpy clothing for Jocelyn to try on, Tedros threatens a sales associate: “Let me catch you looking at her again, I’ll fucking drag you down Rodeo. I’ll fucking curb-stomp you.”

Ever since “The Idol” premiered earlier this month, there’s been much critique about its sexual material, including a scene in the premiere episode where pop star Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp) decides to flash her nipples during a photoshoot, despite the nudity rider in her contract.

Well, fans of The Idol, it’s looking like this is going to be your only season.

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.

SPOILER ALERT! This post contains details from Episode 2 of The Idol on HBO.

The much-hyped The Idol premiered on HBO this week, revealing a curious mixture of music industry satire and less successful eoritc thriller homage. The show is centered around Lily-Rose Depp's Jocelyn, a pop star whose lack of control in life drives her into the arms of a mysterious club owner Tedros (played by The Weeknd a.k.a.