HBO Cancels Season 2 Of ‘The Idol’ After Divisive First Season

On Monday, HBO announced that the network will not be moving forward with season two of The Idol. The controversial series will end after airing only five episodes.

“The Idol was one of HBO’s most provocative original programs, and we’re pleased by the strong audience,” an HBO spokesperson said in a statement. “After much thought and consideration, HBO, as well as the creators and producers have decided not to move forward with a second season. We’re grateful to the creators, cast and crew for their incredible work.”

The series — which stars Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye and Lily-Rose Depp and was co-created and directed by Sam Levinson — has made headlines for its uncensored sexual content and explicit nudity. Critics have also attacked the plotline of the show, with The Guardian referring to it as “one of the worst programs ever made.”

Despite the backlash, the cast and crew have remained proud of the work they have done. After The Idol was premiered at the Cannes Film Festival press conference, Depp released a statement defending her character, Jocelyn.

“I think that something about Jocelyn is just that she’s a born and bred performer… I think that the way that she dresses, for example, is her trying to tell you something all the time or say something to the people that she’s around or express herself in some kind of way,” she said. “I also think that the occasional bareness of the character physically mirrors the bareness that we get to see emotionally in her.”

The series’ first season was initially meant to include six episodes, though only five were released. Cast and crew members were quick to shut down rumors about the show’s cancellation, as star Da’Vine Joy Randolph told Variety in June that “everyone intends to have a second season.”

The decision to cancel The Idol was reportedly recently. Cast and crew members have yet to comment on the announcement.