Is it based on Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus, or someone even closer to series protagonist and co-creator Abel "The Weeknd" Tesfaye?
Is Selena Gomez the Secret Idol: Is HBO’s The Idol about Selena Gomez? Since the Sunday, June 4 première of the pop-star drama The Idol, it has generated numerous inquiries.
People are curious as to whether or not lead actress Lily-Rose Depp sings for real, what controversies surround the show (you can catch up on the salacious drama between The Weeknd and Rolling Stone here), and most importantly, who is The Idol based on?
Is it based on Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus, or someone even closer to series protagonist and co-creator Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye?
Some fans are convinced that Johnny Depp’s character, the ambitious but troubled pop singer Jocelyn, is based on Selena Gomez, one of The Weeknd’s most prominent ex-girlfriends.
But is this rumour accurate? Let’s examine what we know about the origins of this intriguing and controversial series.
Selena Gomez Biography: Age, Childhood, Career, Philanthropy, Net Worth 2023
The first episode of The Idol reveals that the musical sensation Jocelyn (Depp) is preparing a comeback after having to postpone her last tour due to a “nervous breakdown” following the death of her mother from cancer.
Following the mental health incident, Jocelyn attempts to reclaim her cultural standing by having a photoshoot for the album cover of her new album, which includes a hospital bracelet as an unusual accessory.
Even though her creative team is divided over whether or not to include the accessory on the cover, it serves to remind readers of Jocelyn’s recent stay in a facility. When Xander (Troye Sivan) asks Jocelyn’s supervisor Nikki (Jane Adams) if the bracelet romanticises mental illness, Nikki responds emphatically, “Absolutely.”
The singer, who has been quite open about her own mental-health struggles over the years, donned a hospital bracelet on the cover of her 2017 single “Bad Liar”
Superfans of Selena Gomez would unquestionably comprehend the reference. (Gomez had just completed lupus treatment.) Who does one believe she was courting in 2017? The Weeknd, as expected. Ten months later, in October of that year, they ended their relationship.
The “Calm Down” singer also abruptly postponed scores of tour dates in support of her 2015 album Revival due to mental health concerns, citing depression and anxiety as lupus side effects.
American Idol viewers have also hypothesised that the real-life friendship between Selena and Raquelle Stevens, which was prominently featured in the singer’s Apple TV documentary My Mind & Me, is eerily similar to Jocelyn’s on the show. Leia is Jocelyn’s closest friend and programme assistant. Rachel Sennott performs the role of Leia.
Regarding the similarities between Jocelyn and his famous ex-girlfriend, The Weeknd stated at a press conference in Cannes in May 2023, “Jocelyn is definitely inspired by my experiences and the experiences of other artists that I’ve witnessed, male and female.”
During the Cannes panel, Euphoria co-creator and star Sam Levinson reiterated his stance against using specific music stars as sources of inspiration, stating, “We’re not trying to tell a story about any particular pop star.”
Instead of focusing on a specific individual, the show criticises the fame culture as a whole. Levinson stated regarding pop stardom, “It’s a lot of pressure to continuously be on and to be what everyone desires.
Selena Gomez Mental Health, Her Own Battle, Told Through Her Own Words
Fans of the television programme The Idol immediately observed that Selena Gomez resembled the character Jocelyn. Many people were dissatisfied with how similar the actual Selena and the fictional character were.
The Idol’s Rachel Sennott is undoubtedly based on Selena’s supervisor and “bestie” Raquelle.
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