‘Uncomfortable scene’ airs in Lily-Rose Depp’s controversial new drama The Idol

Lily-Rose Depp’s new series The Idol continues to air overtly sexual scenes, causing industry insiders to wonder if the show will derail her career.

Lily-Rose Depp stars in The Idol with The Weeknd. Picture: Binge

Lily-Rose Depp has the best agent in Hollywood and the world at her feet.

But her starring role in the new series The Idol, which streams locally Binge and features scenes that have been described as “comically bad” and “torture porn”, has got industry insiders hoping it won’t derail her career.

The 24-year-old “nepo baby” of Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis, plays Jocelyn, a Britney Spears-style superstar fresh off a breakdown who gets caught up in the clutches of Tedros, a modern-day cult leader played by The Weeknd (real name Abel Tesfaye), who is also the show’s creator.

There’s nudity, masturbation and S&M in the first episode alone – and scenes that are truly reminiscent of the kitschy 1995 movie Showgirls.

Lily-Rose Depp and The Weeknd star in The Idol. Picture: Binge

Episode two sees an uncomfortable scene air involving the young actress. Picture: Binge

One stunned guest at the premiere in Cannes last month told Page Six: “The second episode is almost worse. There’s this uncomfortable scene where he orders her to do certain things and then a very graphic sex act. It’s all very porny … most people in the audience were shocked.”

The young starlet’s social media was flooded with nearly 3000 comments after the first episode, like, “This will either make or break Lily’s career” and “Was really excited to see you for the first time. I was disappointed to see your nipples in the first 3-5 minutes. It was difficult to watch. Not because of you, because of the storyline & the dialogue. It’s crude & abrasive, exploitative, & without value.”

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The Weeknd plays a cult leader in the series. Picture: Binge

The HBO show is helmed by Sam Levinson, the man behind the network’s Euphoria – another show known for its outrageous depiction of sex and drugs among teens.

“You gotta know what you’re stepping into when you join a Sam Levinson show,” said one well-placed Hollywood insider.

However, another industry source said there is the risk that Lily-Rose could get typecast in this kind of overtly sexualised role.

“Lily has to be protected, that is the most important thing,” said the source, “aside from the fact whether The Idol is good or merely torture porn.”

And one Hollywood production source said: “She’s still so young and impressionable … she says she feels empowered, but she has two men in charge [The Weeknd and Levinson] telling her what to do.”

Lily-Rose Depp acted out this overtly sexual dance routine in episode one. Picture: Binge

A source close to Johnny Depp told Page Six: “Of course, Johnny is super proud of his daughter in her career,” adding: “He’s extremely protective of both his kids.”

As for the nepo-baby accusations, Lily-Rose told Elle magazine last year: “Maybe you get your foot in the door, but you still just have your foot in the door. There’s a lot of work that comes after that.”

Johnny and Paradis also share son Jack, 21, who sources say is a talented musician and more “low key” than his sister, and living quietly in LA.

For Lily-Rose – who quit Hollywood’s posh Oakwood School at 16 without getting her high diploma – none of the sensational headlines seem to trouble her.

It was reported back in April 2022 that director Amy Seimetz had left the show after several of the six episodes had already been completed, followed by a Rolling Stone report about alleged turmoil behind the scenes – including claims that The Weeknd and Levinson threw out scripts because they were too feminist.

Seimetz has declined to comment.

Lily-Rose Depp has defended her new series in the wake of the growing criticism. Picture: Valery Hache/AFP

Asked about the accusations against Levinson, Lily-Rose said at Cannes: “Of course it’s always a little sad and disheartening to see mean, false things said about somebody that you really care about … and it was not reflective at all of my experience shooting the show.”

In a somewhat bizarre moment, Lily-Rose parroted her character – who banishes an intimacy co-ordinator at a photo shoot – when she told the New York Times that, although she “totally loves and respects” intimacy co-ordinators, “You literally can’t make a decision about your own body.”

As the source close to Depp said: “Lily-Rose is European, she’s a lot more free than most Americans.”

Indeed, the young star made a case for Jocelyn’s near-constant nudity, saying: “The occasional bareness of the character physically mirrors the bareness that we get to see emotionally … I’ve never felt more involved in those kinds of conversations.”

In 2015, Lily-Rose made it clear she is sexually fluid she joined the Self Evident Project, which celebrates people who are “anywhere on the LGBTQI spectrum”.

Lily-Rose Depp with director Sam Levinson and co-star The Weeknd pose during a photocall for the film The Idol at the Cannes Film Festival in May. Picture: Valery Hache/AFP

Her father said of that, “I already knew because she tells me everything – she’s not afraid to say anything to me. We’re super-tight and I’m very proud of our relationship.”

Now, after a high-profile two-year romance with fellow French-American actor Timothée Chalamet that ended in 2020, a relationship with rapper Yassine Stein from November 2021 until September 2022, and a fling with Elvis actor Austin Butler, Lily-Rose is dating New Jersey rapper 070 Shake, whose real name is Danielle Balbuena.

The couple were photographed sharing a passionate kiss outside LAX airport as Depp returned home from Cannes.

In early May, Depp seemingly confirmed their relationship as she posted a photo of the two kissing on her Instagram Story with the caption, “4 MONTHS W MY CRUSH.”

On June 3, Lily was seen throwing her arms around her girlfriend after the rapper performed at the We Love Green festival in Paris.

This article originally appeared in Page Six and was reproduced with permission

Originally published as ‘Uncomfortable scene’ airs in Lily-Rose Depp’s controversial new drama The Idol