False reports that “The Idol” is not returning for Season 2 were debunked Thursday, with HBO PR tweeting, “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.”
The response came after a story from Page Six stated that the currently airing season of the controversial musical drama starring The Weeknd and Lily-Rose Depp would be its first and only. The original headline for the Page Six story cited The Weeknd’s reportedly “difficult” behavior on set with influencing the decision.
As it now reads, the article, “Fate of ‘The Idol’ Up in the Air Amid Criticism of The Weeknd’s ‘Egomaniacal’ Behavior,” alleges that Abel Tesfaye (The Weeknd) “is said to not be planning a second season of ‘The Idol’ — amid backlash over outrageous sex scenes on the controversial series and the singer’s ‘egomaniacal’ behavior on set.” Much of the article has stayed the same as what originally ran Thursday, but statements from HBO have been added throughout.
Several Twitter accounts with large followings used the original article to report the series would not be returning, including Cinema Solace, ScreenTime and JustJared.
Per the Page Six reporting, a source at HBO said, “The door is definitely still open — it’s definitely not a decision [yet].” The report also waffles on its characterization of Tesfaye. At one point, it quotes an unnamed source that called the singer and performer “egomaniacal” and points out that Depp has admitted there were times when she would “steer clear” of her costar. Two paragraphs later, another source calls Tesfaye “beloved.”
Tesfaye, Sam Levinson and Reza Fahim’s series has emerged as one of the most-discussed dramas of the summer. Centered around a pop singer named Jocelyn (Depp), the series chronicles her journey to be back on top following a mental health breakdown. Desperate to recapture her fame, she partners with Tedros (Tesfaye), a self-help guru and modern day cult leader, in a professional and sexual relationship. The first episode debuted to 913,000 live viewers with Episode 2 dropping to 800,000.
