The curtain has closed for The Idol.
The series, which starred Lily-Rose Depp and Abel "The Weeknd" Tesfaye, will end following a polarizing season one, an HBO spokesperson confirmed to E! News on Aug. 28. The decision, the spokesperson said, took time.
"The Idol was one of HBO's most provocative original programs, and we're pleased by the strong audience response," the statement read. "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 cancellation comes two months after the season one finale aired in June. Ahead of the finale episode, HBO PR denied reports that a decision had been made on The Idol's second season.
"It is being misreported that a decision on a second season of The Idol has been determined," HBO PR wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, June 15. "It has not, and we look forward to sharing the next episode with you Sunday night."
The Idol premiered its first two of five episodes at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival in May. However, the show's arrival came in the wake of a March Rolling Stone report that alleged the show was impacted by a creative overhaul that pushed for more daring, explicit content.
The Idol's cast and crew defended the show, with Tesfaye, who is one of the series' cocreators, rebutting Rolling Stone's report by tweeting a scene from the show, adding, "@RollingStone did we upset you?"
A day after the Cannes premiere, Sam Levinson, the show's writer and director, said the Rolling Stone report only strengthened the show's reach.
"When my wife read me the article," Levinson told reporters, per Variety, "I looked at her and I said, 'I think we're about to have the biggest show of the summer.'"
Depp, who portrayed troubled pop star Jocelyn in The Idol, also had glowing words about the project. "We were all super-proud of this project and it feels like a really long time coming," she told E! News in May. "To get to birth The Idol at a festival like Cannes is just a dream come true."
Two days after The Idol aired its final episode, Depp shared a tribute to everyone who supported the show.
"Thank you all for watching, listening, laughing & crying with us," she wrote on Instagram July 4. "Thank you to everyone-cast, crew, and everyone in between-who poured their hearts into making this show. Thank you Sam and Abel for the wildest, most beautiful journey of my life. & My Idol family… I love you guys till the end of time."
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