Fan theory has Selena Gomez the inspiration for The Idol

The Idol has officially wrapped its short-lived first season on HBO. The series follows aspiring pop star Jocelyn (played by Lily-Rose Depp) as she reclaims her life following a nervous breakdown. Jocelyn receives help from a nightclub owner/cult leader Tedros (played by singer-songwriter, The Weeknd).

The series was critically panned with many citing its lack of storytelling and sexual content as turnoffs. After the negative feedback, HBO reduced the episodes and the series ended at episode 5 instead of the full six episodes.

The final episode aired on July 2, 2023, but that hasn’t stopped people from talking about it all over social media. The latest discussion is a theory that the show based its leading lady on a real-life pop star.

Many fans believe Selena Gomez was the inspiration for Jocelyn on The Idol

Jocelyn is the leading lady in The Idol and her story is similar to tales of many other real-life pop stars. But a fan theory has many believing that the character was based on Selena Gomez.

According to SoapAsk, fans have pointed out many eerily similarities between Gomez and Jocelyn. Both women are child actors who grew up to become pop stars. And the two also had their share of challenges.

Like Jocelyn, Gomez had an up-and-down relationship with her mom. The Only Murders in the Building actress admitted her relationship with her mother Mandy Teefey was strained during Gomez’s childhood. Gomez’s parents divorced when she was five, and she blamed her mom for the divorce.

Gomez and Teefey repaired their relationship, and Teefey supported her daughter’s acting career. However, their bond became strained when Teefey voiced concerns about Gomez’s boyfriend, singer Justin Bieber. After Gomez and Bieber officially split for good in 2018, she and her mom reconciled.

Another eerie similarity between Gomez and Jocelyn is their mental health issues. Jocelyn is recovering from a nervous breakdown and starts confronting trauma from her past. Gomez has been public about her struggles with anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder; in 2016, the singer had a breakdown while on tour.

In 2017, when Gomez released her music video for Bad Liar, the singer is wearing a hospital bracelet. An exact scene was done in the HBO series with Jocelyn sporting a hospital bracelet while posing for an album cover.

So far Gomez, HBO, or The Idol executive producer Sam Levinson have commented on the fan theory.

Given that Gomez’s ex, The Weeknd starred, co-created, wrote, and produced the series; one has to wonder if there’s some truth to the theory.

Do you believe that Gomez was the inspiration for HBO’s The Idol? Keep up to date with Culturess for more celebrity news and coverage.