Lily-Rose Depp Defends Sam Levinson Amid 'The Idol' Controversy

Lily-Rose Depp has come to the defense of The Idol creator Sam Levinson, despite the controversy surrounding the HBO series. In a recent appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Depp praised Levinson for his work, revealing that she has a close bond with him and his wife, Ashley Levinson, who also worked as a producer on the show.

The actress shared how upsetting it was to see people speak negatively about Sam, especially when it came to his filmmaking. “The things that they said about him, particularly as a filmmaker, just couldn’t be further from the truth, at least from my experience working with him,” Depp explained. “You never want to hear people talking s— about your friend.”

In the controversial 2023 series, which was canceled after just one season, Depp portrayed pop star Jocelyn, who struggles to rebuild her career after a nervous breakdown. The show also featured The Weeknd as Tedros, a self-help guru with a mysterious and dangerous following.

Despite the negative reception, Depp looks back on her time with The Idol fondly. “It was a period in my life where I learned so much, I was pushed so far out of my comfort zone, in the most beautiful way,” she said. "I’ll always look back on that as one of the most special times of my life.”

Depp also acknowledged the show's intention to provoke, saying, “I think we were also, like, pushing society’s buttons intentionally a little bit.” While the series received mixed reviews and was canceled after extensive reshoots, Depp remains proud of her work and the experience.