The Weeknd's 'The Idol' May Allegedly NOT Have A Second Season Amid Backlash Over Its Graphic Sex Scenes

According to a recent report, HBO's "The Idol," starring Grammy award-winning singer, The Weeknd, and Lily-Rose Depp, might not return for a second season.

This news comes after the show's first two episodes received severe backlash for its graphic depiction of sex and numerous nude scenes featuring the lead character Jocelyn, played by Depp.

Amid all the criticism, Depp and The Weeknd have come out to defend the show, along with its director, Sam Levinson.

Keep on reading to learn more.

The Weeknd, real name Abel Tesfaye, reportedly has no plans to move forward with a second season for HBO's controversial new show, "The Idol."

The series, which stars the "Can't Feel My Face" singer and Lily-Rose Depp, has been plagued with a maelstrom of controversy and scandal even before it was officially available for streaming.

A source shared with Page Six that "This was never meant to be a long-running show, it was always … a limited series."

They also claimed that HBO wasn't surprised by the kind of reaction "The Idol" has gotten due to its highly graphic sex scenes. "It's a Sam Levinson show, and you know what you're getting with a Sam Levinson show," the source said while referring to the director, Levinson, who also directs the hit series, "Euphoria."

Following news of the series possibly not moving past season 1, HBO took to Twitter to call out the rumor. They wrote, "It is being misreported that a decision on a second season of The Idol has been determined. It has not, and we look forward to sharing the next episode with you Sunday night."

Depp shared in a recent interview that she avoided her co-star, The Weeknd, whenever he fully immersed himself in the character he played in "The Idol."

While speaking with Entertainment Weekly, the actress got candid about her onset relationship with the "I Feel It Coming Singer," who plays a cult leader on the controversial show.

"I don't think anybody went full method — nobody lost their minds," Depp told the publication. "Well, sometimes when Abel would get — I don't want to reveal too much about where Abel's character goes, but when he would be in full Tedros mode sometimes, I would steer clear of him. I'd be like, 'He's in his zone right now."

The 24-year-old actress noted that the mood on set was usually "lighthearted" and that this helped the cast manage the emotional and heavy nature of the series.

She shared, "We were having a lot of laughs, listening to a lot of music, and dancing around, and that kind of energy is what made the heavier moments easier and possible."

After the second episode of "The Idol," entitled "Double Fantasy," aired, The Weeknd was slammed online for his very graphic sex scene with his co-star, Deep.

In the raunchy episode, Terdos, played by The Weeknd, is seen saying very vulgar words to Depp's character, Jocelyn, while she masturbates. 

While Speaking on the scene with GQ magazine, the musician said he felt nothing about it was "sex." However, he said that some viewers would feel "embarrassed" when watching the scene.

"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," The Weeknd said, explaining how the scene was meant to spotlight his troubled character, Terdos.

Prior to the show's release, a scathing exposé by Rolling Stone gave fans an insight into what many have now confirmed to be a nudity-heavy show.

Sam Levinson, who directed "The Idol," was called out by the publication for allegedly cranking up the nudity and violence in the show. 

"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," the publication wrote.

"The Idol" saw a significant dip in viewership when its second episode, which fans claim has produced one of the worst sex scenes in history, aired.

According to Variety, the show drew 800,000 viewers across HBO and Max on Sunday night, a significant drop from the premiere episode, which brought in over 900,000 viewers.