Sam Levinson is no stranger to criticism when it comes to the graphic nudity and sex scenes depicted in his work, particularly on HBO's Euphoria. However, those critiques were taken to a whole new level for his upcoming project The Idol, when Rolling Stone released an exposé in which 13 anonymous cast and crew members spoke out about the direction Levinson had taken the project, comparing it to “rape fantasy” and “torture porn.” Now, The Idol’s star Lily-Rose Depp has weighed in, releasing a statement in defense of the director.
The Idol stars Johnny Depp’s daughter as an up-and-coming pop star who falls in with a self-help guru and sex cult leader played by The Weeknd (real name Abel Tesfaye). Sam Levinson, in collaboration with Reza Fahim and The Weeknd, made some big changes to The Idol when he took over the nearly finished project for Amy Seimetz. While many crew members were furious about the amped-up depravity of the characters, Lily-Rose Depp defended Levinson and the environment he created. In her words:
Sam is, for so many reasons, the best director I have ever worked with. Never have I felt more supported or respected in a creative space, my input and opinions more valued. 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.
Amy Seimetz vacated The Idol with the majority of it already filmed, but Sam Levinson chose to scrap most of what had been done to shift the narrative — which The Weeknd allegedly thought had too much of a female perspective — and up the debauchery. The change in tone for the series doesn’t seem to have negatively affected Lily-Rose Depp’s experience, as the actress praised Levinson for making her feel seen and respected.
Rolling Stone’s exposé featured numerous members of the cast and crew who took issue with Sam Levinson’s revised scripts, and while some of the scenes they found offensive weren’t actually shot, the magazine reported some strong reactions from the employees regarding The Idol controversy, including:
- It was like, ‘What is this? What am I reading here?’ It was like sexual torture porn.
- 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.
- It was a show about a woman who was finding herself sexually, turned into a show about a man who gets to abuse this woman and she loves it.
- It’s almost such an extreme that it’s like, there is no message. There is no point. They’re just trying to see how much of a reaction they can get.
Lily-Rose Depp wasn’t the only one to make a statement following the Rolling Stone article. The Weeknd responded as well, taking a shot at the magazine’s relevance:
.@RollingStone did we upset you? pic.twitter.com/Uyx06lyRgxMarch 1, 2023
Even before the Rolling Stone article, though, viewers reacted to the release of The Idol’s trailer with concerns about the oversexualization of Sam Levinson’s female characters and his use of graphic sex and trauma. You can see the trailer for yourself below:
No release date has been announced for The Idol, but fans can see Sam Levinson in action with Euphoria, which is available for streaming with an HBO Max subscription. Keep an eye on our 2023 TV schedule for all of the upcoming premiere dates.
