It’s been a little over a month since The Weeknd-produced series The Idol hit HBO’s screens to anything but critical acclaim. Almost unanimously ranked as one of the worst shows to have come out this year, the five-episode-long series, which was strung together alongside Euphoria director Sam Levinson, was quick to generate buzz online, sparking heated discussions on social media platforms and flooding our Twitter timelines with brutally honest opinions and scathing critiques, as well as memes mocking its dialogue, plot twists, and production quality.
In the last couple of days, the online dragging seems to have peaked after one emerging rumour seems to suggest that Jocelyn, the show’s main protagonist portrayed by Lily-Rose Depp, could have been heavily influenced by the life of American-Mexican singer and actress Selena Gomez— The Weeknd’s former love interest, whom he dated for 10-months in 2017.
Having becoming a rallying point for Twitter discourse over the past 72-hours, Gomez’s name has been trending on the blue-bird platform, with Selenators pointing towards the possibility of their idol inadvertently playing a huge part in the show’s creative process– at least in spirit.
The parallels between Jocelyn and Gomez extend beyond their respective careers and personal lives, creating an intriguing web of similarities that has captured the attention of fans and critics alike. Both individuals began their journeys in the entertainment industry at a very young age, with the fictional Jocelyn starring in a children’s television show and Gomez gaining worldwide fame through her role on Disney Channel’s Wizards of Waverly Place. Remarkably, their closest friends, Leia and Theresa Mingus, respectively, have assumed the role of personal assistants, highlighting another uncanny connection between the two.
In 2016, the Lose You To Love Me singer faced a challenging period in her life when she made the difficult decision to cancel the remaining shows on her Revival World Tour, citing anxiety and depression following her lupus diagnosis as the main driving cause behind the unforeseen annulation. In a similar manner, Depp’s character in The Idol cancels a tour after experiencing the heartbreaking loss of her mother.
Perhaps one of the most striking comparisons arises when Jocelyn takes to a live video to address her fans, expressing her determination to not let the traumas of her past hinder her growth as a person. She also addresses the media’s portrayal of her, claiming that they believe she is unraveling and to some extent losing all sense of sanity. This scene strongly echoes a moment from 2017 when Gomez, during an Instagram live session, made a promise to become the best version of herself despite the challenges she faced. She candidly revealed that people had labeled her as “crazy,” using similar methods and lingo as her fictional alleged counterpart.
The disturbing similarities are yet to have been confirmed and still remain at speculation level, and it’s unsure whether the similarities were intentional or just a mere coincidence. But considering that Gomez underwent a kidney transplant and a long period of depression during 2016 and 2017, if these rumors are indeed true, we’re not mad that the show got such poor ratings.
