Sharon Stone Praises Lily-Rose Depp's Performance In 'The Idol' Amid Backlash

Sharon Stone has watched "The Idol" and thinks Lily-Rose Depp and The Weeknd outdid themselves. Earlier this month, Depp modeled her character after women like Stone's "Basic Instinct" character.

When "The Idol" premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, it received mixed reviews for the "excess" nudity. Following this, Depp defended Jocelyn's character from criticism about her overly sensual nature.

Levinson was previously accused of turning the Max series into a "rape fantasy" with excess sexuality. A recent article claimed that several cast and crew members were uncomfortable with the show. 

Read on to find out more.

Sharon Stone recently watched the new Max series "The Idol" and had nothing but good words for the actors' performances. On her Instagram Story, the actress praised Lily Rose-Depp and The Weeknd for their performances. She wrote, per Page Six, "I just watched the first two episodes of @theidol @lilyrose_depp and Abel (@theweeknd) r so sure-footed."

Stone also complimented Sam Levinson, the show's controversial director and co-creator. The "Basic Instinct" star praised Levison for using the show to address "the root of crisis (sic) in entertainment; Which comes first, the brilliance or the heartache?"

During an interview with Entertainment Tonight earlier this year, Depp shared how she got the inspiration for her character. The actress revealed that she drew inspiration "from many other influences that are not pop stars" and some fictional people too.

She said, "We thought a lot about Sharon Stone in 'Basic Instinct' and the Gene Tierney and Lauren Bacalls … all of these women that were very inspiring to me for the role."

"The Idol" recently premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and received a 5-minute standing ovation. The show has since received mixed reviews, emphasizing the seemingly excess nudity, especially by Depp.

One review by Variety read, "Revenge porn photos of bodily fluids on Depp's face, masturbation with ice cubes, nightclub-owning scam artists, and vile Hollywood sycophants populated the first two episodes of the already-controversial series."

Another review by the Hollywood Reporter also noted the high level of Depp's nudity in the first episodes. It read, "Rarely does a scene go by without the camera showing flashes of her breasts or a**. You start to wonder if this is building to anything, and by episode two, it seems likely that it's probably not."

After the intense online and critic backlash over the nudity and graphic sex scenes in the show, Depp reacted in a press interview, defending her character. At the Cannes Festival, the "Voyagers" actress said her character, Jocelyn's sensuality, was crucial to her being a "born and bred performer."

She said, "'The way that she dresses, for example, is her trying to tell you something all the time... or express herself somehow. I also think that the occasional bareness of the character physically mirrors the bareness that we get to see emotionally in her."

Even before the show's premiere, Levinson had been accused of increasing its nudity and turning it into a "rape fantasy." An article by Rolling Stone released earlier this year featured interviews from multiple cast members and crew members of "The Idol."

The alleged members revealed that they were uncomfortable with the heightened sexual tone and direction of the show. One production member said, "It was like any rape fantasy that any toxic man would have in the show — and then the woman comes back for more because it makes her music better."

Another crew member said, "It was like, 'What is this? What am I reading here?' It was like sexual torture porn." However, Depp has since dismissed the claims and article, insisting that Levinson is "for so many reasons, the best director I have ever worked with."

Following the release of the scathing Rolling Stone article, The Weeknd took to social media to slam them by posting a clip from the show, where his character calls the magazine "irrelevant." Levinson also addressed the allegations during a Cannes press interview, claiming that the magazine "intentionally omitted anything that didn't fit their narrative."