‘The Idol’ called out for ‘creepy’ similarities to pop star’s story

HBO’s “The Idol” has faced blinding criticism, notably for a string of raunchy sex scenes, with one major publication going so far as to call the show “torture porn.”

But that’s nothing compared to the wrath of Selena Gomez fans, who, having now viewed the entire series, are pointing out similarities between pop star Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp) and the Disney-reared diva.

And, the “Only Murders in the Building” star’s fuming followers say, it’s Gomez’ ex-boyfriend, Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye — co-creator of the show, alongside Sam Levinson (“Euphoria”) and Reza Fahim — that’s to blame.

Tesfaye and Gomez briefly dated in 2017. Armchair critics flocked to social media to broadcast their distress over discovering certain parallels between real life and the show, which aired its final episode on Sunday night.

“Ever since finding out the idol is probably just the weeknd’s selena gomez fanfic i haven’t been able to sleep,” one member of Team Gomez complained.

“The Weeknd is a nasty person. the comparison between jocelyn and selena is scary and disrespectful. the idol lacks originality,” another sniped.

The controversial drama series follows a broken Jocelyn as she develops a relationship with club owner, cult leader and self-help guru Tedros, played by Tesfaye. These are the uncanny moments fans believe bear a resemblance to what Gomez went through.

Both were child actors

Both Jocelyn and Gomez started off their careers quite early. Gomez had her breakout role as Alex Russo on Disney’s “Wizards of Waverly Place.”

When a Vanity Fair reporter, Talia (Hari Nef), tells Jocelyn she grew up watching her on TV, Jocelyn responds with “That is so sweet.” This brings out a comparison by fans to Gomez, who once told an interviewer “You’re so sweet” when they brought up her time on “Wizards of Waverly Place.”

Jocelyn also has a complicated relationship with her mother

Just how troubled Jocelyn’s relationship with her deceased mother is unclear, some Gomez fans are drawing parallels to the star’s mother, Mandy Teefey, who has publicly spoken of her disapproval of some of her daughter’s decisions, such as Gomez’ romantic relationship with singer Justin Bieber and working relationship with director Woody Allen.

“No one can make Selena do anything she doesn’t want to,” Gomez’s mother wrote in a 2018 Instagram post. “No one controls her. She makes all her own decisions. No matter how hard you try to advise. It falls on deaf ears.”

Jocelyn also does a topless album cover

In one particular episode, Jocelyn fights to shoot a topless album cover. “It is my body,” she insists.

Gomez did her own topless album cover for 2015’s “Revival,” a choice that was questioned by many critics and fans. She took to the radio at the time to say, “I’m not going to let them get to me.”

Jocelyn cancels her tour due to mental illness

Following the passing of her mother, Jocelyn cancels her tour for mental health reasons. Part of her team worries about her “having another psychotic break,” while the other part claims “she was just exhausted.”

Gomez cancelled the last few legs of her 2016 Revival world tour due to struggling with her mental health following a lupus diagnosis. She also checked herself into a psychiatric facility following an emotional breakdown.

Jocelyn has a controversial comeback shoot

In the same album cover shoot featuring a topless Jocelyn, she’s also seen sporting a hospital bracelet. Her team says that showing off the bracelet will make her more relatable to fans.

Gomez’s return-to-the-limelight promotional photoshoot for her song “Bad Liar” included a picture of her on a bed in lingerie and with a hospital bracelet on. Petra Collins, the photographer for the shoot, encouraged Gomez to leave the bracelet on.

“It was a very real moment,” Selena told MTV. “She thought it was beautiful … It was just exactly where I was emotionally.”

Jocelyn recorded moans for a song

Gomez released “Bad Liar” while in a relationship with The Weeknd — fans noticed the singer was moaning some of the words, something they insist she did frequently while the pair were dating.

The Weeknd’s character in “The Idol” pushes Jocelyn to record real moans for a song while they were intimate in front of others.

Jocelyn’s assistant is also her best friend

Leia (Rachel Sennott) sticks by Jocelyn’s side to the very end. She is one of the only people close to her that truly cares about the star as a person. The two even have a makeup line in the works they collaborate on.

Theresa Mingus, fans say, is Gomez’s Leia. Instead of a makeup line, Gomez promotes Mingus’s swimwear line, La Mariette, through photoshoots and Instagram posts.

Jocelyn doesn’t feel she’s being taken serious as an artist

Jocelyn confesses that she wants “to be taken seriously.” “I want to have a career that lasts and is beautiful and isn’t a f–ing joke,” she tells her crew.

Gomez has publicly spoken about feeling she was stuck being a Disney kid — and that as a result, her music wasn’t taken as seriously compared to other artists.

“It’s hard to keep doing music when people don’t necessarily take you seriously,” Gomez told Vogue in 2021. “I’ve had moments where I’ve been like, ‘What’s the point? Why do I keep doing this?’ ‘Lose You to Love Me’ I felt was the best song I’ve ever released, and for some people, it still wasn’t enough.”