Sharon Stone praises Lily Rose-Depp, The Weeknd’s performances in ‘The Idol’ amid nudity controversy

Right back at ya.

Sharon Stone praised Lily-Rose Depp and The Weeknd’s performances in “The Idol” after the series from slammed by critics for showing too much nudity.

“I just watched the first two episodes of @theidol @lilyrose_depp and Abel (@theweeknd) r so sure footed,” the “Basic Instinct” star, 65, wrote on her Instagram Stories Friday, lauding both Depp, 23, and The Weeknd — whose real name is Abel Tesfaye — who both star in the HBO series.

Stone also went on to compliment the show’s director and co-creator, Sam Levinson, for addressing “the root of crisis (sic) in entertainment; Which comes first the brilliance or the heartache?”

Sharon Stone Instagram post about "The Idol."
Sharon Stone praised Lily-Rose Depp and The Weeknd’s performances in “The Idol.”
Sharon Stone in "Basic Instinct."
Depp said that she took inspiration from Stone’s performance in “Basic Instinct.”
©TriStar Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

Earlier this month, Depp, who plays a pop star trying to make a comeback after having a breakdown, shared that although her character wasn’t modeled on one specific person, she did draw inspiration from some fictional ones.


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“We actually drew from a lot of other influences that are not pop stars,” she told Entertainment Tonight. “We thought a lot about Sharon Stone in ‘Basic Instinct’ and the Gene Tierneys and Lauren Bacalls … all of these women that were very inspiring to me for the role.”

The show, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, has garnered mixed reviews with many criticizing the seemingly gratuitous nudity.

Lily-Rose Depp in "The Idol."
The show has been criticized for its excessive nudity.
HBO

“Revenge porn photos of bodily fluids on Depp’s face, masturbation with ice cubes, nightclub-owning scam artists and vile Hollywood sycophants populated the first two episodes of the already-controversial series,” Variety wrote.

“Rarely does a scene go by without the camera showing flashes of her breasts or ass,” the Hollywood Reporter wrote about the actress in a damning review, adding, “You start to wonder if this is building to anything, and by episode two it seems likely that it’s probably not.”

Levinson, 38, was previously accused of ramping up the nudity and sexual content of the show, turning the series into a “rape fantasy.”

A still from "The Idol."
Director Sam Levinson was previously accused of turning the series into a “rape fantasy.”
HBO

A Rolling Stone article published earlier this year contained interviews of 13 alleged members of the series’ cast and crew who revealed their discomfort with the show’s tone and direction.

“It was like any rape fantasy that any toxic man would have in the show — and then the woman comes back for more because it makes her music better,” one production member told the magazine of Levinson’s version.

Another added, “It was like, ‘What is this? What am I reading here?’ It was like sexual torture porn.”

Abel 'The Weeknd' Tesfaye, Lily-Rose Depp and Sam Levinson at The Cannes Film Festival.
The HBO series premiered at The Cannes Film Festival.
Corbis via Getty Images

However, Depp disputed the article, telling Page Six via her rep, “Sam is, for so many reasons, the best director I have ever worked with.”

The “Voyagers” actress was just snapped passionately kissing her girlfriend, 070 Shake, whose real name is Danielle Balbuena, at LAX.

The couple who went public with their romance earlier this month — shared a steamy smooch on the sidewalk.