'The Idol' Rumored to Not Return for Season 2, But Here's the Truth

By Ashley Turner

Rumors that The Weeknd is reportedly not planning a second season of The Idol amid backlash over the controversial series' shocking sex scenes and his "egomaniacal" behavior have been refuted by HBO. Abel Tesfaye, known as The Weeknd, is the co-creator and co-star of the show, which critics described as hilariously "bad." Since the June 11 premiere, ratings have declined by 12% or more than 100,000 viewers. However, on June 15, HBO released a statement addressing the reports, posting a tweet: "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."

A source told Page Six, "This was never meant to be a long-running show, it was always … a limited series." Even so, an HBO source told the outlet, "The door is definitely still open — it's definitely not a decision [yet]. At this point, this is normal in our process … we're only two episodes in." According to the source, HBO was not surprised by the reaction to the explicit show, which is available on the Max streaming service. "It's a Sam Levinson show, and you know what you're getting with a Sam Levinson show," explained the source regarding the show's co-creator and director, the same individual behind the scandalous series Euphoria.

The Idol follows the exploits of a Britney Spears-like pop star named Jocelyn, played by Lily-Rose Depp, who comes under the influence of Tedros, a cult leader played by Tesfaye. Page Six quoted a show source as saying it was "not an ideal experience … and not one I am eager to repeat," working with Tesfaye, 33, in character as Tedros. Another called him "egomaniacal." Co-star Depp, 24, had admitted she avoided Tesfaye when he was in "his zone." Despite that, she said, "I love Abel so much. He was able to melt into this role in a way that is really difficult for anybody to do."

A source close to the production tells Page Six that Tesfaye was "beloved" on set, adding: "He literally opened up his home for the cast and crew. Almost the entire show was shot inside his home." The Idol was meant to be a major show for Max, as it was the first major series to be released by the streaming service, one industry insider told the outlet. "It was a big, big show for them with big talent and a lot of buzz," the insider said. "But from what I heard, HBO knew it was a bit of a turkey as soon as they saw it. But [now] you have all the headlines — and that kind of makes up for it."

According to the HBO source, "The only person who makes the decision [about a second season] is the head of HBO, Casey Bloys, and he is optimistic." British GQ wrote that the show's second episode had the "worst sex scene in history," while some critics have called it "comically bad." In response, Tesfaye told GQ: "No. There's nothing sexy about it." Afterward, he said the scene was inspired by the 1992 film Basic Instinct, directed by Paul Verhoeven, who also helmed Showgirls. "Yes, there's moments of 'sexy' in [Verhoeven's] films but there are other moments that are very cheesy and hilarious," Tesfaye added. 

On its first night, HBO reported 913,000 viewers watched The Idol across all platforms, while the audience declined to 800,000 for its second episode. "No one is consistently tuning in [for] television," the production source told Page Six. "For better or worse, we're all talking about The Idol."

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