“They used my girl for clout”: BLACKPINK’s Jennie’s fans slam alleged minuscule role in HBO’s The Idol amid Sam Levinson controversy

BLACKPINK
BLACKPINK's Jennie's fans criticise the makers of The Idol for using for merely clout (Image via YG Entertainment)

BLACKPINK’s Jennie fans are angry after unnamed sources from HBO’s The Idol recently made shocking revelations about the singer's role in the much-awaited show. Sources revealed to Rolling Stone that BLACKPINK’s Jennie was used as a bait with no substantial role in the series, which is being heavily publicized in her name.

The shocking revelations have shocked and angered BLACKPINK’s Jennie’s fans who have taken to social media to express their disappointment at the mistreatment meted out to the popular K-pop idol. User @blimy0308 wrote:

"Ofc they used my girl for clout coz else it'll flop bad"

BLACKPINK’s Jennie’s debut show, The Idol, has run into fresh controversy; fans enraged

Starring BLACKPINK’s Jennie, The Idol has run into another controversy after unnamed sources from the production team said that Sam Levinson and The Weeknd gave the singer "an inconsequential arc" all the while using her as an eye candy in the series:

“‘It was like three or four lines per episode for her,’ a production source says. ‘They didn’t let her talk that much. Her job was to sit there [and] look pretty, basically.’”

The revelation was made to Rolling Stone magazine, exposing that BLACKPINK’s Jennie part in HBO's The Idol is not as great as fans think. The Weeknd and Sam Levinson pitched her character as an important female who identifies herself as bisexual and is second to Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp).

The unnamed sources further revealed that they won't be surprised if they use her character as a "queer bait," which is a marketing tactic where makers hint at a same-sex relationship but do not showcase it. As it happens, BLACKPINK’s Jennie’s fans are upset with the development and have taken to social media to speak against the makers for using her as clout.

Additionally, fans are concerned that Sam Levinson is helming The Idol, which is pitched as the darker, edgier and s**ier version of the smash-hit Euphoria. The American showrunner, who previously created the Zendaya-starrer Euphoria, has a tendency to glorify s**uality and n*dity on screen for views.

The unnamed production sources revealed that besides Sam Levinson’s glorified objectification of a woman’s se*uality and nudity, he revamped the entire series according to his requirements. This was after the series' original director, Amy Seimetz, suddenly exited the project. At that point, HBO stated that The Idol will go through a complete overhaul under Sam Levinson’s direction as The Weeknd felt the show was heading too far into a "female perspective."

The production sources mentioned that besides going over budget, the series has reportedly faced multiple delays, reshoots, and rewrites. This is because Sam Levinson nearly scrapped the $54-75 million finished project to make a new version of The Idol with more violence, s*x, and nudity.

The sources reiterated that the original version of The Idol had an important message, but the Sam Levinson-directed The Idol is more graphic and disturbing than his previous show Euphoria:

"It was like any r**e fantasy that any toxic man would have in the show — and then the woman comes back for more because it makes her music better"

The Weeknd posts a cryptic trailer in response to the ongoing reports

The story of HBO's The Idol centers around Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp), an upcoming pop star who is enamoured by Tedros (The Weeknd). The latter is the mysterious owner of a popular nightclub in Los Angeles and secretly runs a cult, drawing Jocelyn into this underworld mess.

In response to the reports, The Weeknd posted a cryptic trailer of The Idol featuring him and Lily Rose-Depp with the caption, “did we upset you?”. He tagged Rolling Stone in his tweet as a clap-back for the article against his upcoming production.

BLACKPINK’s Jennie, who was previously seen hanging out with The Weeknd and Lily Rose Depp on different occasions, will be making her acting debut with this show. She is the second member after Jisoo to make her acting debut.


K-pop girl group BLACKPINK will be performing in the Bukit Jalil National in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on March 4, 2023, as part of their BORN PINK World Tour.

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Edited by Priya Majumdar
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