The Weeknd and Sam Levinson’s HBO series The Idol had its debut at Cannes yesterday (May 22), and during a press conference, Levinson and Lily-Rose Depp addressed speculation that Depp’s character is directly based on Britney Spears.
“We’re not trying to tell a story about any particular pop star,” Levinson said. “We’re looking more at how the world perceives pop stars and the pressure it puts on that individual. And I think that that’s what… you know, it’s a lot of pressure, to constantly have to be on, and to be what everyone wishes you to be. It’s a lonely life. We can all pretend that everyone is looking out for someone’s best interests, but I think fame really corrupts, and I think it’s very easy to surround yourself with myth makers who just continue to prop up.”
Is Lily Rose-Depp’s pop star in #TheIdol based on Britney Spears? “We’re not telling anybody else’s story,” she says. https://t.co/HWTIBTfaam #Cannes pic.twitter.com/BE3DIy3AGQ
— Variety (@Variety) May 23, 2023
Depp then reaffirmed Levinson’s answer, saying, “I think something we wanted to do with the character is make her feel simultaneously like a pop star of our time, but also like she existed in her own plane, in a way.”
In a recent interview with W Magazine, Depp said, “Of course I’m a Britney fan! Who doesn’t love Britney? But I was also thinking about Beyoncé, Mariah [Carey], and every huge pop star of our time. I wanted Jocelyn to be the kind of woman who can dominate a room, someone who doesn’t ever shy away from their sparkle.”
Spears, by the way, previously said she was working on something called The Idol and was later seen with Levinson and The Weeknd.