- A source confirmed to Insider that Johnny Depp will be appearing in Rihanna’s next Savage x Fenty show.
- Fans are questioning the decision due to Depp’s controversial trial against Amber Heard.
- Rihanna is now facing backlash for the move, particularly in light of her history with Chris Brown.
Actor Johnny Depp will make a guest appearance in Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty Vol. 4 fashion show, and many fans are questioning the collaboration.
A source confirmed to Insider that Depp would be a part of the show, while TMZ reported that Depp would be the focus of one of the show’s spotlight segments, making him the first man in Savage X Fenty history to do so.
The fourth Savage X Fenty show is due to premiere on Amazon Prime Video on November 9. It will include performances from Anitta and Burna Boy, and appearances of Irina Shayk, Cara Delevingne, and Precious Lee, according to Vogue.
According to TMZ, Rihanna invited Depp to appear in the show, and her team and has already filmed his segment.
—Meech (@MediumSizeMeech) November 3, 2022
Many of Rihanna’s fans were confused by the announcement and questioned why the “Diamonds” singer would include Depp in the show.
Depp was involved in a high-profile and controversial trial against ex-wife Amber Heard earlier this year. Depp sued Heard for defamation over an op-ed written for The Washington Post in 2018 in which she implied that he had physically and emotionally abused her while they were married.
ICHAEL REYNOLDS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Depp has vehemently denied the claims of abuse and said in the lawsuit that Heard was not a “victim of domestic abuse” but a “perpetrator.”
Jurors found both Depp and Heard liable for defamation against each other, awarding Depp $15 million in damages and Heard $2 million in damages. Heard was later denied a motion for a new trial.
Some Depp fans, who were very vocal in proclaiming his innocence and attacked Heard — accusing her of being a liar during his trial – have praised Rihanna for including Depp in her show.
—Femme (@FemCondition) November 3, 2022
But others have been critical of her decision, especially given the singer’s very public experience as a victim of domestic abuse.
In 2009, her boyfriend, singer and rapper Chris Brown, admitted to physically abusing Rihanna and was later sentenced to five years of probation following the assault.
Rihanna previously spoke about the abuse in an interview with Vanity Fair, stating that she had been “punished over and over” due to the attention she received in the aftermath of the incident.
A few have said Rihanna working with Depp is a case of “one survivor” supporting another survivor, arguing that neither of them deserve backlash from “fake feminists.”
But many other fans insisted Rihanna has had a history of “problematic” moments.
—Eloise Hendy (@EloiseHendy) November 3, 2022
Posts on both Twitter and Reddit have pointed to Rihanna’s close ties with Nicki Minaj and her husband, who is a registered sex offender, as well as resurfacing an Instagram post from 2012 that people said was offensive to people of Asian heritage.
Some also criticized Rihanna for previously speaking out about the Israeli/Palestine conflict in a post on Instagram, which fans suggested was akin to an “all lives matter post” and said that they are not surprised by Rihanna’s support of Depp.
—art tavana (@arttavana) November 3, 2022
Rihanna and Savage x Fenty did not immediately respond to Insider’s requests for comment.
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