AceShowbiz - The Weeknd's sleazy character in "The Idol" has been defended by Bethenny Frankel. The outspoken "The Real Housewives of New York City" star says there are scores of men in Hollywood just like 33-year-old singer's cult-like nightclub boss Tedros in HBO's new shock show, which stars Lily-Rose Depp.

In a new TikTok video, Bethenny commented on the show, which has been hammered by critics for everything from its sex and nudity to acting and a joke about Jeffrey Epstein's underage victims. Amid the ongoing backlash against the series and Tedros' obsession with BDSM sex with Lily's character Jocelyn, she said, "There are 50 sleazy, sleazy Hollywood guys like (Tedros) that I remember from living in LA. It's totally realistic, so what are we doing?"

The 52-year-old told fans to remember the show is a "fiction story" and viewers don't have to debate whether its content is "empowering or not empowering."

She added, "(Viewers are) making Lily-Rose Depp and The Weeknd these villains. It's a fiction story! Don't watch it! Like what happened to everyone? Everything's supposed to be rinsed? And there are no fictional characters anymore? Has everyone lost their f**king minds? OK, you don't like the show, don't watch it. Suck your thumb, get a pacifier and shut the f**k up!"

The Weeknd, real name Abel Tesfaye,has been labelled a "comically bad" actor in the show, which has also been branded as "torture porn."

Abel recently defended his "douchebag" character and said the criticism of "The Idol" was "very much expected." He told Variety, "We're playing with genres with this show, we're doing exactly what we wanted to do. And none of this is a surprise. I'm excited for everyone to watch the rest of the show."