Lily-Rose Depp has responded to the negative reaction her latest show The Idol has been met with.
Produced by Euphoria creator Sam Levinson and chart-topping singer Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye, the US drama stars Lily-Rose in the lead role of an aspiring pop singer trying to push ahead with a comeback.
It was initially lambasted by critics after the first two episodes were shown at the Cannes Film Festival in May, while it hasn’t fared too well with viewers either.
In particular, some of the sex scenes and dialogue have come in for criticism.
But in a new interview with Vogue Australia, is appears Lily-Rose isn’t bothered about the show’s reception, admitting it is “not for everyone”.
She said: “We know that we’re making something provocative and we are not shying away from that. That’s something I knew I was setting out to do from the beginning.
“I was never interested in making something puritanical.
“It’s OK if this show isn’t for everyone and that’s fine – I think all the best art is [polarising].”
Addressing some claims the show depicts a exploitative and misogynist attitude towards women, Lily-Rose added: “I’ve never felt more respected and more safe on a set, honestly.”
The Weeknd recently spoke out about the sex scene that’s got everyone talking, insisting his character is intended to come across “like such a loser” in the sequence.
Last month, Page Six reported that The Weeknd did not intend to bring the show back for a second season after the backlash to the first.
But the outlet also quoted a source who claimed The Idol was “never meant to be a long-running show”.
However, HBO denied this outright, claiming: “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.”
The fifth and final episode of the series landed on Sunday, and is available to stream on NOW.