Amber Heard is opening up about her legal battle with ex-husband Johnny Depp in a new film that screened at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival over the weekend.
Heard, 39, is featured in Silenced, a documentary that follows numerous women who faced defamation lawsuits after speaking out about their alleged abuse.
Heard sat down for an interview for the film, from director Selina Miles and international human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson, who represented her during the 2018 U.K. trial where Depp sued the owner of British tabloid The Sun, which labelled him a “wife beater.”
The Aquaman actor spoke with Miles about the aftermath of the defamation trial loss against her ex-husband Depp, 62.
“This is not about me,” Heard says in the documentary, per Variety. “I have lost my ability to speak. I am not here to tell my story. I don’t want to tell my story. In fact, I don’t want to use my voice anymore. That’s the problem.”
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Heard said that the outcome of Depp’s trial against The Sun “depended” on her participation.
“The outcome of that trial depended on my participation, and I depended on the outcome of that trial,” she said.
“When I first met [Robinson], I immediately got the sense that she got the bigger picture. What has happened to me is an amplified version of what a lot of women live through.”
Defamation lawyer explains Johnny Depp tabloid verdict
She recalled the name calling and trash thrown at her as she entered and exited the court each day.
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“I remember at the close of the trial, the idea that I could say something to the press came up. (Robinson) asked if I was sure about that. (I thought), ‘If they throw things at me, it will make this point more obvious.’ I didn’t understand it could get so much worse for me as a woman, using my voice,” Heard said.
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Heard went on to say that she feels inspired by those who speak out.
“It gives me strength seeing other people take on the fight. Women brave enough to address the imbalance of power,” she said.
“Looking at my daughter’s face as she grows up and slowly starts to walk into this world… I believe it can be better.”
Jury awards Johnny Depp $15 million in damages in defamation suit against Amber Heard
Robinson spoke with Variety about the “chilling effect” defamation lawsuits have had on the ability of women to come forward.
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“In the post-#MeToo world, we saw women break the cultural silence, speaking out publicly about gender-based violence. What we then saw is their alleged perpetrator bringing a defamation claim saying, ‘This is not true, it’s defamatory, and I’m going to sue you for a lot of money,” Robinson said.
The lawyer said she has advised many clients that “he can sue you, you just then have to prove it in court.”
“But it’s very expensive to do so, and it bankrupts most women,” she continued. “The question I ask in this film is, ‘What does free speech mean if you can’t afford to defend it?’”
In June 2022, a jury ruled that Heard defamed Depp with malicious intent in a 2018 Washington Post op-ed claiming that she was a victim of domestic abuse.
Depp was awarded $15-million in total — $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages.
The jury also awarded Heard $2 million in compensatory damages, ruling that Depp’s lawyer Adam Waldman defamed her when he called her abuse claims “a hoax” in a British newspaper.
“The disappointment I feel today is beyond words,” Heard said in a statement following the verdict. “I’m heartbroken that the mountain of evidence still was not enough to stand up to the disproportionate power, influence, and sway of my ex-husband.
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“I am even more disappointed with what this verdict means for other women. It is a setback. It sets back the clock to a time when a woman who spoke up and spoke out could be publicly shamed and humiliated. It sets back the idea that violence against women is to be taken seriously,” Heard continued.
“I’m sad I lost this case. But I am sadder still that I seem to have lost a right I thought I had as an American — to speak freely and openly,” the statement concluded.
Depp’s lawyer says he was ‘real victim of domestic abuse’ in closing arguments
Depp also released his own statement: “Six years ago, my life, the life of my children, the lives of those closest to me, and also, the lives of the people, who for many, many years have supported and believed me were forever changed. All in the blink of an eye.”
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“False, very serious and criminal allegations were levied at me via the media, which triggered an endless barrage of hateful content, although no charges were ever brought against me. It had already travelled around the world twice within a nanosecond and it had a seismic impact on my life and my career,” he continued.
“And six years later, the jury gave me my life back. I am truly humbled,” he added.
The trial, which took place over six weeks in 2022, saw the actors and ex-spouses, who had been married for about 15 months, competing through their legal teams to paint the other as an aggressive abuser in their relationship, all while maintaining they were the real victim.
In December 2022, Depp and Heard reached a settlement that saw Heard agree to pay Depp $1 million. He pledged to donate the settlement to charity.
Lawyers for Depp said the settlement would “formally close the door on this painful chapter for Mr. Depp, who made clear throughout this process that his priority was about bringing the truth to light.”
Heard moved to Spain after the high-profile legal battles with Depp and announced that she is now a mother of three after welcoming twins, daughter Agnes and son Ocean. She is also mother to daughter Oonagh, whom she secretly welcomed in 2021.
Amber Heard has made rare comments about the high-profile Johnny Depp trial in the new documentary Silenced which was screened at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival on Sunday.
The mother of three explained her motives for the appearance were not about her. “This is not about me. I have lost my ability to speak. I am not here to tell my story. I don’t want to tell my story. In fact, I don’t want to use my voice anymore. That’s the problem,” Amber can be heard saying in the documentary.
Amber explained that the case was very much a ‘catch 22’ situation. “The outcome of that trial depended on my participation, and I depended on the outcome of that trial. When I first met [Robinson], I immediately got the sense that she got the bigger picture. What has happened to me is an amplified version of what a lot of women live through,” she added.
Amber recalled being the subject of public scorn. “I remember at the close of the trial, the idea that I could say something to the press came up. [Robinson] asked if I was sure about that. [I thought], ‘If they throw things at me, it will make this point more obvious.’ I didn’t understand it could get so much worse for me as a woman, using my voice,” Amber went on.
The actress did end the interview on a positive note however. “It gives me strength seeing other people take on the fight. Women brave enough to address the imbalance of power. Looking at my daughter’s face as she grows up and slowly starts to walk into this world… I believe it can be better,” she concluded.
Amber now lives in Madrid, Spain, with her children after relocating from the US in the fall of 2022. Her move came shortly after the extremely high-profile defamation trial brought on by her Hollywood A-lister ex-husband.
Amber and Johnny went to court in April 2022 in Virginia, and the case ended two months later. They later went to trial in the UK, a case that settled in December 2022.
The public scrutiny and controversy surrounding the trial were thought to be a reason why Amber wanted to restart her life on her own terms.
A year after moving to Europe, a former director of Amber’s, Conor Allyn, told People that she had “moved on” from the tense legal battle and added: “She’s living her best life in Spain with her daughter and just finding happiness in that way.”
Since then, Amber has mostly stayed out of the spotlight, though she worked on the film In the Fire in summer 2023. The Aquaman sequel, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, was also released that year following its delay.
Other than the odd film project, Amber lies low with Oonagh and her twins in sunny Spain.
Johnny Depp‘s plane was late coming into Rome, so he missed the Rome Film Festival press conference that was scheduled on Saturday to talk about the new film he directed, Modi: Three Days on the Wing of Madness. Depp was due to present the film that evening, pick up a prize and then fly out on Sunday morning.
The actor is considered a controversial figure in Hollywood after years of legal battles and a messy divorce from his ex-wife Amber Heard, which included allegations of domestic violence and his and Heard’s heavily publicized defamation trial. But Depp is in the midst of a career reboot of sorts in Europe, one that began at last year’s Cannes Film Fest with French director Maïwenn’s Jeanne du Barry, in which he starred as King Louis XV.
Modi, which premiered at the San Sebastian Film Festival last month, is the story of three turbulent days in the life of Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani. It is set in war-torn Paris in 1916, in the Montmartre district which was home to many bohemians and artists at the time. Depp sat down with The Hollywood Reporter Roma to talk about how he identifies with Modigliani, moving on from the past and jokingly compared his reputation to that of O.J. Simpson.
Al Pacino first suggested this film about Modigliani to you way back in 1997. Why did it take so many years to make it?
Al was going to direct it at the time, and he was talking to me while we were working together on Donnie Brasco, and he wanted me to play Modigliani. Then it sort of disappeared and then 20-plus years later Al calls me, and he says [imitating Pacino], “Hey John I think you should direct the Modigliani thing,” and I said, “Why?”
How do you feel about directing? This is your second attempt at directing a film; the first one, The Brave, back in 1997, did not go so well.
The Brave didn’t go so well. I remember very well the comedown of the critics on The Brave, and all it did was make me understand. What do you do? You learn from that.
[Riccardo Scarmacio, who plays Modigliani in Modi, interjects to say: “By the way, (Italian auteur Michelangelo) Antonioni said ‘Bravo, bravo!’”]
Yes, he did, bless his heart. That actually happened.
Did you identify with Modigliani? He was a wild guy — he was into sex, drugs and rock and roll. And he couldn’t stand rejection.
And he is the exact opposite of me. I adore rejection. [Laughs.]
But are there ways you identify with him as a character?
Of course. My upbringing was not the same as Modigliani’s, but you do understand the levels that you have to climb, up a ladder or up a wall to get to a point where you earn your stripes. I do understand him in the sense that he stuck to his guns with his particular style, which was far too brute for those at the time.
He was in the wilderness for a while, like you because of your personal issues. Is that a good description?
It was a vast wilderness and ultimately that vast wilderness taught me a whole lot
What lessons have you learned?
Oh let’s see. Should this be funny or should it be true? [Laughs.]
Just give it to me straight. You said in San Sebastian last month that your life turned into a soap opera. Do you still feel that way?
Honestly, I can sit here this very second and think about all the hit pieces, and how everybody was against me, and yeah yeah yeah he is off the map … endless stuff. I can remember it all. Went through it all. Some of it was not the most beautiful time, some of it was hilarious. Some of it was mad. The thing is, it simply just was, and it simply just is. So, for me, it happened. I learned, man. Everything that we experience, whether you’re given a snow cone or walking your dog, you learn something somewhere along the way. So I don’t have any ill feelings toward anyone. I don’t have this great reserve of hatred, because hatred requires caring. Why carry that baggage?
You also said that you feel you don’t need Hollywood anymore.
I had a few bouts with Hollywood over their particular easy way and the fluid three-act structure and all the stuff that is predictable. And I am sorry, but I had to get in there and whip it around a little bit…
With all the challenges you have faced in your personal life and your career, you still give unforgettable performances. Do you have an instinct or an intuition or some method that allows you to focus on the authenticity of your roles?
Oh yes, of course, it is my responsibility. But it is also helpful in certain instances, especially when things are crumbling all around. It’s weird to be able to escape, not into a character, but it is good to be able to inhabit a character, and as everything is in your toolbox — some of that stuff can be used as available stimulus. Which is great. So yeah. Everything has been … it has really, it just is. And on some level, it is gonna be around, that kind of thing. It’s like OJ or something. But hey, it just happened. That’s all.
Johnny Depp has had, it’s fair to say, a rocky few years in Hollywood.
After a public divorce and subsequent defamation trial involving ex-wife Amber Heard — claims of domestic violence and extensive abuse erupting from both parties — he is dipping a toe back in the film waters with Modi — Three Days on the Wing of Madness.
Depp’s second directorial feature, Modi follows a few days in the life of Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani. Riccardo Scamarcio stars in the titular role alongside Antonia Desplat, Al Pacino and Stephen Graham. Backdropped by Paris in the middle of World War II, the film focuses on the painter and sculptor as he grapples with his artistic freedom, pride and class-based snobbery while searching for recognition.
It was, Depp revealed at the movie’s press conference Tuesday, Al Pacino who urged the actor — or in this case, director — to take it on. “When Pacino speaks, you must listen,” the Pirates of the Caribbean star told the room of reporters at the San Sebastian Film Festival.
The film is receiving its world premiere on the Spanish coast with Depp and his cast putting on a united front. “Let’s celebrate Johnny and this movie,” Scamarcio tells The Hollywood Reporter. His co-star, Antonia Desplat, adds: “People need to move on.”
Depp likened his bumpy life to Modigliani’s at the press conference. “I’m sure we can say that I’ve been through a number of things here and there. Maybe yours didn’t turn into a soap opera,” he said, referencing the trial. “I mean, literally, televised.”
His cast are nothing but complimentary — and that’s an understatement. They describe him as full of love and “a fatherly figure,” who has “heart and trust.” Below, Scamarcio and Desplat speak candidly about what it is to be on a Depp set, while the film’s supporting cast — Bruno Gouery, Luisa Ranieri, and Ryan McParland — weigh in too. “He’s the nicest, the kindness, the sweetest man I’ve ever worked with in my life,” Scamarcio says. “The industry, I think, should be very careful.”
Congratulations on this film and being here in San Sebastian. Can I start by asking what drew you to this project?
ANTONIA DESPLAT I was sent the script to be considered for Beatrice’s part [Beatrice Hastings, a British poet and literary critic, was Modigliani’s partner for two years], and when I read the script, I hadn’t read a script that felt so uncensored in forever. And it felt like a very intriguing woman. I was also very knowledgeable on Modigliani because I grew up in Montparnasse, and I was very close to that world. And the fact that Johnny Depp was directing, the fact that Mr. Scamarcio was the lead, it felt incredibly exciting. So I taped because I was like, “They need to see how much I want this part.” And then I had a Zoom with Johnny, waited for two weeks, had a screen test, and then had another Zoom where he announced that I got the part. It felt like a huge moment.
RYAN MCPARLAND It was an incredible opportunity, I think, to play something so far removed from me and my existence growing up in Ireland, and I thought it would really challenge me as well. And of course, the opportunity to work with Johnny Depp and be in a film with Al Pacino, these guys I looked up to as a kid.
BRUNO GOUERY Being directed by Johnny Depp with this fantastic cast, it was such a great opportunity. I have to say that [playing] Maurice Utrillo, a French painter very famous in Paris, for me, obviously it resonates a lot. I love paintings, I love art.
LUISA RANIERI Johnny and Al Pacino, even if we don’t have a scene together, it’s a big honor to be in this insane movie with all the actors attached. Riccardo, too, we’ve known each other for several years, but we’ve never worked together.
Johnny Depp on the set of ‘Modi.’
‘Modi’/DDA
RICCARDO SCAMARCIO It was a crazy thing because I had this Zoom call with Johnny and I was driving on the highway, so I had to stop. It was 9, 10 o’clock at night, and so the first meeting I had with Johnny was at a gas station. And while we were having this conversation, he realized that there was something strange behind me, like oil for cars… And he said, “Where are you?” and I say, “I’m at the gas station, I’m sorry Johnny, but I was driving down with my daughter, it was a little bit difficult…” and someone else was there, I think Stephen [Graham] or one of the producers and he said: “That’s our man.” [Laughs.] So we met, then we saw each other in London. But for me, Modigliani is very important because my mother, she’s a painter. So I grew up with this big book on Modigliani and my mother told me, because I was very, very young, that I was obsessed with this book. I still have it, with broken pages. I knew I had to be a part of this incredible project.
That’s almost like fate, you having that book.
SCAMARCIO It was exactly that. It’s very strange. And I always grew up thinking that I wanted to buy a Modigliani one day. Impossible, because the last one to sell, five months ago, sold for $170 million.
DESPLAT It’s amazing, because we both have these… in French, we say underground rivers, which is when things are meant to be. I lived at 54 Rue de Montpernasse, which was [Romanian sculptor Constantin] Brâncuși’s and [French-American sculptor Jacques] Lipschitz’s studio. Modigliani wrote a postcard to Brâncuși to our address and we have a copy of it. We’ve had that in our house my whole life. And then Beatrice, it varies in certain books, but she either lived at 53 or 55 Rue de Montpernasse, and I was at 54.
So it’s safe to say working with Johnny Depp was a huge pull for youall on this?
SCAMARCIO It is very, very safe to say.
DESPLAT He’s the best actor of our century.
SCARMARCIO He has heart and trust, which is, I think, the most important things for an actor. They need to feel this trust from the director. It’s critical. And it’s very strange because [Depp] puts you in a position where you feel free to deliver whatever you want but then he drives you with very smart and precise indications. It’s fantastic, because you feel free, but safe.
DESPLAT Also, Johnny is a definition of an artist. He’s a painter, he’s a musician, he’s an actor, he’s a director. And like [Scamarcio] said, he has a heart, which brings sensitivity and he refuses to be boxed. He refuses to go into the conformity of things, so he’s fully uncensored. Being directed by someone who’s just doesn’t — excuse my French — give a shit about other people’s opinion, and who’s just going to do things for the art and for the love of it and the passion of it, is just completely enthralling.
Was it peculiar reconciling Johnny Depp the actor with Johnny Depp the director?
DESPLAT I first had 10 minutes where I needed to get my fandom out in our first Zoom meeting, and tell him how much I admire him. He calls me kiddo, and he just felt like a very fatherly figure that was going to guide us very gently and carefully into the world. But I think each character Johnny has played has a part of him. He does imitations of characters and people all the time, and so you see all these different characters that he’s played over the years come alive as he’s directing us and demonstrates what he wants, sometimes just when he’s speaking about it, because he gets passionate. So I think the director and the actor just merged into one thing.
McParland, Scamarcio, Ranieri, and Gouery in ‘Modi’.
Modi Production Ltd
Do you have any tidbits or memories from set that would give audiences insight into Johnny Depp as a director?
DESPLAT [Laughs.] There’s a scene in the cemetery that is the definition of how he allows things to happen.
SCAMARCIO When we are running and we just went crazy, and in one take, which is the one in the movie, [Antonia] falls — and she was never supposed to end up on the floor. Instead of stopping the scene, I go and say, “Are you okay?,” we kept going, and it was fantastic. And Johnny, he loved it.
DESPLAT He calls it “movie magic.”
SCAMARCIO That’s what he’s looking for: accidents.
DESPLAT And of course, we had the whole crew and Johnny was going [whispering]: “Is she okay? Is she okay? Is she okay? Can we keep going?” Obviously we didn’t hear that, but we heard about it later on. And he came out and was like, “This is movie magic!”
GOURERY I have to say that I don’t work with many directors who give me the possibility to show my fantasies and give me such confidence.
MCPARLAND It was deeply collaborative. He really, really encouraged us to take risks with the work and with the performances.
Alot of people will view this as as Johnny’s big return, in lots of ways, to Hollywood after some instability these last few years. Do you think that he deserves a second chance?
DESPLAT Yeah. People need to move on.
SCAMARCIO Second chance? Why? I think Hollywood needs Johnny Depp, an artist of that kind. It’s very important for Hollywood and for cinema in general. And yeah, it’s a very controversial thing but at the end of this process, can you imagine how such a big sufferance there is behind these things? When you feel attacked by a world, why? And actually, you’re a good man. He’s the nicest, the kindest, the sweetest man I’ve ever worked with in my life. The industry, I think, should be very careful, because artists are very, very fragile. It’s not easy to just arrive. Of course, there are privileges, but at the same time, it’s a difficult job.
DESPLAT And he’s a human being.
SCAMARCIO Yeah, we need humanity. That’s what we need. So let’s celebrate Johnny and this movie, which is about another artist that, let’s not forget, died with no money, was terribly sick. [Modigliani] was punched by the police the day before he died, which increases sickness, and five months ago, his painting has been sold for $170 million. Shall we learn something from those things? I think we should. We should be careful. I’ve done another movie about another painter called Caravaggio, who has been canceled for years by the church and is from the 1600s. So this cancel culture, it’s something that comes from a very long time ago.
DESPLAT Exactly.
MCPARLAND I think whatever Johnny decides to do with the rest of his career, his life, is up to him. I personally can only speak about my experience working with him and getting to know him. He’s an incredibly kind, down to earth, humble, extremely humble human being. He looked after us and protected us and took care of us. The work was always most important. There was nothing else going on. To have the freedom to explore and to experiment and to improvise, it could be one of the greatest acting experiences I may ever have the pleasure of being part of.
Riccardo, Antonia — had you two met before you worked on Modi? Because you were such a convincing couple. Your chemistry was amazing.
SCAMARCIO We just met in Budapest, a week before we started shooting. [It’s good] you believe in us as a couple.
DESPLAT I think we bounce off each other very well. And I think Johnny created a very safe playground for us too, and he was very collaborative.
SCAMARCIO And she speaks a perfect Italian.
DESPLAT It was a very collaborative process, and I think Johnny allowed us to take part in rewriting the scenes with him so that they felt more truthful to each of our characters, to bring in ideas and research that we had done. So it felt like a very collaborative effort and we just had fun doing it.
Antonia Desplat as Beatrice in ‘Modi – Three Days on the Wing of Madness.’
This is a film about art, about pride, about snobbery. What else is Modi honoring, what is its message?
SCAMARCIO Well, for me, the most important thing is that this movie established that it is very important to be an artist, but also to be a man. I would say, beyond that, for an artist, there is something that can’t be for sale. A private dimension of you, your soul. It’s very important to create and if you sell that… you will be contaminated forever. So there is this message that no matter how powerful you are, how much money you have, there is the reason we do this job.
DESPLAT I think for me, we should take away from the film the freedom that those characters have, because we live in a world where art is censored all the time. But art is supposed to be provocative, it’s supposed to be exciting. And I think if we start controlling art, we just lose the soul, we lose the freedom of it. And I think with this film, because it’s not a biopic, we’re just sort of zooming in on three days of an artist, you get to experience and witness the freedom that these characters had. They were all revolutionaries, these four characters, and they were artists struggling to be recognized, which I think speaks to everybody nowadays too, but it’s taking away the freedom of art. Art needs to be free. Otherwise it can’t exist.
GOUERY It’s all about, I think, the freedom of creation. It’s unbelievable for me to think that those painters at the beginning…. They never sell the paintings! And they’re continuing all the same. It’s very strange. I don’t know. If I, as an actor, if no one casted me, I think I would change [careers].
MCPARLAND Yeah, perseverance.
Johnny isn’t the only big name you worked with on this film. You all got to work with Al Pacino. Can you speak a little bit about about that experience?
DESPLAT Can I just say how great the scene is?
SCAMARCIO We went to Los Angeles to shoot that scene, and Johnny wanted to rewrite the scene. And so we had two days to shoot the scene, but actually one day he was rewriting so me and Al were chilling out, home alone. “Okay, well, we’re not gonna work today.” So basically [Depp] rewrote the scene completely. And the second day, like an hour from when we were supposed to start shooting, I’ve received this brand new scene, completely new, which from 15 pages became 27 and the page 28 was: “More dialogue to come…” I said, “This is a joke.” [Laughs.] I’m not English, not American, I’m 100 percent Italian, so English is not my language, but I said to myself: “If Johnny thinks that I can make it… He’s not worried. Well, I’m gonna make it.” I learned this scene in one hour, and it was wonderful. It was incredible. Al is such a generous and incredible man, very humble, very sweet with me, he helped me a lot. So it’s an honor, of course. I’ve been very lucky to be protected by these two incredible human beings and immense artists.
DESPLAT He’s just the sweetest man alive, he’s not at all pretentious. You know, sometimes, when you meet your idols, there can be a time where you’re disappointed. But he was so sweet. He just wanted ice cream.
GOUERY I tell you the truth, when I saw the scene [with Pacino], it was better than what I imagined.
Are you excited to be here in San Sebastian for the festival?
SCAMARCIO [Claps hands excitedly.]
RANIEIRI It’s so welcoming, so beautiful to be here. It was incredible arriving. All the world came out to say hello.
DESPLAT This festival feels very authentic. It feels like it’s about the actual films, whereas I think sometimes you can get lost in all the glitz of other festivals. To show the movie, this is the best place to appreciate the art of filmmaking. So it’s very exciting!
It’s now been five years since Disney bought 20th Century Fox, and we’re finally seeing that really pay off on the movie side. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apesis hitting theaters next week, Alien: Romulusand Deadpool & Wolverineare later this summer. What Fox movies are due next for a comeback? The Maze Runnerseries, naturally.
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Per the Hollywood Reporter, 20th Century Studios is looking to reboot the YA sci-fi movies for a new generation. Heading up those efforts is writer Jack Paglen, best known for 2014’s si-fi thriller Transcendence starring Johnny Depp. Sources speaking to THR claim the reboot will look to continue the original story while also returning to the roots of that original film.
In case you’ve forgotten, the original Maze Runner—directed by Wes Ball, who’s helming Kingdom (and eventually Legend of Zelda), and will produce this new flick—released in 2014 and was based on the dystopian YA books written by James Dashner. Dylan O’Brien starred as an amnesiac kid named Thomas who woke up in up in a big grass area home to other boys that’s also surrounded by a massive maze. Deeply curious and unable to shake that something was going on, Thomas worked to uncover the maze’s secrets and find a way for him and the other Gladers to escape.
The Maze Runner franchise was one of many trying to chase after Hunger Games and Twilight money, and ended up succeeding. Its first movie made $348.3 million (against a $34 million budget), and its two sequels—2015’s Scorch Trialsand 2018’s Death Cure—were equally big at $312.3 million and $288.2 million, respectively. (The latter film was infamously delayed after O’Brien was hospitalized for serious injuries and had to recover).
Not long after the merger completed, Disney confirmed it’d eventually spin up new Maze Runner movies. Instead of pulling a Hunger Gamesand doing a movie or two based on the previously released prequel books The Kill Order and Fever Code, it looks like Disney’s decided to start anew. Rebooting not-that-old YA fare appears to be the move nowadays, if Twilightand (arguably) Percy Jacksonare any indication. The original Maze movies were pretty fun, solid films, so here’s hoping the same is true of this reboot whenever it runs into theaters.
In photos Ohashi posted on her Instagram Stories earlier this week, the retired gymnast appears to be dressed as Mera, the character played by Heard in “Aquaman,” accompanied by a man who appears to be dressed as Capt. Jack Sparrow, the character played by Depp in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise. In at least one of the photos, Ohashi indicated they were portraying “Johnny Depp and Amber Heard.”
One of the photos shows Ohashi with her hands around her companion’s throat.
“I am truly sorry for the decision I made with my halloween costume/post,” Ohashi wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter) on Friday afternoon. “It was insensitive and thoughtless. As someone who has experienced and spoken out against abuse, I understand how wrong it was and expect more of myself. I hope you can accept my apology. I will be better.
I am truly sorry for the decision I made with my halloween costume/post. It was insensitive and thoughtless. As someone who has experienced and spoken out against abuse, I understand how wrong it was and expect more of myself. I hope you can accept my apology. I will be better.
Ohashi competed for the Bruins from 2015-2019 and became known for the viral videos of her performing impossible-looking and perfectly executed gymnastics routines, always with a broad smile on her face. She performed in Simone Biles’ “Gold Over America” tour in 2021 and mentions “photography/poetry” (not gymnastics) as interests in her Instagram bio.
“Schitts Creek” actor Emily Hampshire has apologized for dressing up as Johnny Depp and Amber Heard with a friend for Halloween.
“I want to address what is one of the most thoughtless, insensitive, and ignorant things I’ve ever done,” Hampshire said on Instagram. “For Halloween, I stupidly thought it would be funny to dress as Johnny Depp and Amber Heard.”
Hampshire dressed as Depp with slicked back hair, while her friend dressed as Heard and held props referencing the graphic testimony given during the Depp-Heard trial. Photos of the costumes Hampshire and her friend wore have been deleted.
The actor, who is best known for playing “Stevie” on “Schitts Creek,” said she regretted her costume choice, saying it made light of the very serious issue of domestic abuse.
“I am deeply sorry and ashamed for putting something that awful out in the universe,” she wrote. “Domestic abuse is never, ever funny.”
“These are real issues with real people and I REALLY regret my actions,” she added.
Hampshire also promised to “do better” in the future.
Depp and Heard drew attention in 2022 when they sued each other for defamation. Depp sued Heard after she wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post in 2018, calling herself “a public figure representing domestic abuse.” Heard sued Depp when one of his lawyers called her abuse allegations a “hoax.”
Italian actress Luisa Ranieri, known for her role as Aunt Patrizia in Paolo Sorrentino’s “The Hand of God,” has joined the cast of Johnny Depp’s directorial project, “Modì.”
The film, which centers around the life of Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani, has commenced filming in Budapest.
In “Modì,” Ranieri shares the screen with fellow Italian actor Riccardo Scamarcio, portraying the enigmatic painter and sculptor Modigliani, celebrated for his pioneering modern art. Al Pacino takes on the role of Maurice Gangnat, an international art collector. The movie also features an ensemble cast including Antonia Desplat, Stephen Graham (“The Irishman”), Bruno Gouery (“The White Lotus”), Ryan McParland (“Halo”), Benjamin Lavernhe (“Jean du Barry”), and Sally Phillips (“Bridget Jones” trilogy).
Ranieri’s character, Rosalie, runs an Italian café in Paris and was a subject of Modigliani’s paintings. According to legend, she played a maternal role in his life, caring for him during troubled times when he struggled with alcoholism and financial difficulties.
“Modì” marks Johnny Depp’s return to the director’s chair after a 25-year hiatus since “The Brave.” Depp recently portrayed Louis XV in Maïwenn’s “Jeanne Du Barry,” marking his acting comeback following his high-profile 2022 defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard.
Based on Dennis McIntyre’s play of the same name and adapted for the screen by Jerzy and Mary Kromolowski, the film unfolds in war-torn Paris during World War I, spanning 48 tumultuous hours that significantly influence Modigliani’s artistic legacy.
Producers Barry Navidi, IN.2, and Italy’s ILBE Group, led by Andrea Iervolino and Monika Bacardi, are behind the project. Notably, this marks Navidi’s fourth collaboration with Al Pacino.
After a period of shooting in Budapest, the “Modì” production is set to move to Italy, with Budapest standing in for Paris.
Pirates of the Caribbean is a massive film franchise, but it’s existed in a bit of a limbo for a while now. Hopefully a weird sequel is just what it needs.
The last movie in the series, Dead Men Tell No Tales, was released in 2017. Amidst assorted tabloid scandals involving star Johnny Depp, another movie was not considered for a while. Back in 2022, when asked if Depp would appear in the next Pirates movie, producer Jerry Bruckheimer responded in the negative.
For a while, the future of the series was unknown. Margot Robbie was brought on for a a while, and rumors emerged that there was a female-driven Pirates up for consideration. (“We had an idea and we were developing it for a while, ages ago, to have more of a female-led — not totally female-led, but just a different kind of story — which we thought would’ve been really cool. But I guess they don’t want to do it,” Robbie later said.)
Craig Mazin wrote a script for the sixth film with longtime Pirates writer Ted Elliot, who had a hand in scripting the first four Pirates movies. In a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times, Mazin revealed that when they pitched Disney they though “there’s no way they’re buying it, it’s too weird, and they did! And then [Elliot] wrote a fantastic script and the strike happened and everyone’s waiting around.”
Of course, with the strikes still ongoing, there’s no further information on a timeline of when we might see this film. Until that’s resolved, we’ll just have to wait and see how this whole thing shakes out.
10 Sequels That Are Better Than The Original
While it’s not easy for a sequel to surpass the original film in terms of quality, it does happen every once in a while. Here are 10 sequel films that are better than their predecessors.
It was a rumor that seemed wild, but just probable enough that it almost immediately caught fire: Actress Jenna Ortega and actor Johnny Depp were spotted on an alleged date, social media gossip site Deux Moi—which famously announces “this account does not claim information published is based in fact”—reported. But Ortega’s response to the claim was fast and furious, debunking not just the romantic gossip, but suggestions that the two were engaged in a professional collaboration.
Speaking with Vanity Fair in 2021, the anonymous person behind the Deux Moi Instagram account, which as of this writing boasts over two million followers, says that her publication “is just about sharing stories,” gossip items that are ostensibly submitted by those in the know. “The fact that there has been information that has been newsworthy, or current, is just by chance.”
Jenna Ortega attends the 2022 MTV Movie & TV Awards at Barker Hangar on June 05, 2022 in Santa Monica, California. Photo: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin
Chance appeared to smile on Deux Moi last week, when the claim of the newsworthy pair-that-apparently-isn’t first appeared via a since expired Instagram story. The 20-year-old Ortega was in the midst of her second collaboration with director Tim Burton just prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike; following up their successful work on Netflix series Wednesday with a sequel to Burton’s 1988 hit, Beetlejuice.
Meanwhile, fellow Burton favorite Johnny Depp, who turned 60 in June, has also made a recent splash on Netflix. But in his case, it was with Depp v. Heard, a docuseries on the ugly social media discourse around his libel suit and countersuit against Amber Heard, who was briefly his wife. The series, which was released in the U.S. on August 16, briefly reignited the online debate about the abuse claims made by Depp and Heard in recent years, director Emma Cooper told Vanity Fair, with Depp’s passionate fanbase reviving their campaign against Heard—and even focusing their wrath on Cooper, in some cases.
Perhaps realizing the social media danger faced by anyone believed to be in Depp’s orbit, Ortega was swift to deny the claims made on Deux Moi. Also via a no-longer-visible Instagram story, Ortega wrote of the rumor,“This is so ridiculous I can’t even laugh.”
“I have never met or worked with Johnny Depp in my life,” the Daily Mail notes Ortega as saying. “Please stop spreading lies and leave us alone.”
Tim Burton, Winona Ryder and Johnny Depp at the premiere of Edward Scissorhands. Photo: Barry King/WireImage
Iconic roles are often coveted by A-list actors, and the casting process can be a rollercoaster ride of auditions, negotiations, and unexpected decisions. One such fascinating story revolves around Tim Burton’s beloved fantasy gothic film, Edward Scissorhands. While Johnny Depp eventually won hearts with his portrayal of the titular character, many may not know that Tom Cruise was originally in contention for the role. However, Cruise’s relentless questions about the character’s mundane aspects led to him parting ways with the film’s creative team.
Tom Cruise almost got the role of Edward Scissorhands
Tom Cruise, renowned for his brilliant acting and numerous blockbuster films, has made a name for himself as one of Hollywood’s biggest stars. Throughout his career, Cruise has taken on various challenging roles and has a track record that speaks for itself. However, despite his impressive resume, becoming a part of certain movies has proved to be a challenge.
Edward Scissorhands, a Tim Burton masterpiece, is a fantasy gothic film that captured the hearts of audiences around the world. The film’s central character, Edward, is a unique and enigmatic individual with scissors for hands, portrayed brilliantly by Johnny Depp. What many people might not be aware of is that Johnny Depp wasn’t the original choice for the role. Before Johnny Depp was cast, Tim Burton considered several other A-list actors, including Jim Carrey, Tom Hanks, and even the legendary Michael Jackson. However, it was Tom Cruise who emerged as a top contender, alongside Robert Downey Jr. but the former’s star power and acting prowess made him a strong candidate for the role, but an unexpected turn of events changed everything.
Tom Cruise’s journey to potentially becoming Edward Scissorhands took an unusual turn. It wasn’t his acting abilities or star status that caused the deviation but rather his relentless questioning of the character’s mundane aspects. Cruise, in a bid to understand the character on a deeper level, began pestering the film’s screenwriter, Caroline Thompson, with a series of perplexing and, at times, bizarre questions.
One particular query that left Thompson and the creative team flabbergasted was Cruise’s curiosity about how Edward Scissorhands would use the bathroom. These inquiries delved into the character’s everyday life in a way that the team had never contemplated. The delicacy of the story, as envisioned by Tim Burton and the writers, was centered around not answering such mundane questions. Scissorhands was a fantastical creation, and the character’s quirks were part of the charm.
In Thompson’s own words, “[Tom] wanted to know how Edward went to the bathroom! He was asking the kind of questions about the character that can’t be asked for this character! Part of the delicacy of the story was not answering questions like, ‘How does he go to the bathroom? How did he live without eating all those years?’ Tom Cruise was certainly unwilling to be in the movie without those questions being answered.”
The decision-making process became clear at this point. Neither Caroline Thompson nor Tim Burton were willing to entertain or provide answers to these questions, which seemed oddly out of place for a character like the now-iconic gothic character. Ultimately, the creative differences between Cruise and the film’s team became insurmountable, leading to the actor’s departure from the project.
Alice Cooper, the rock legend, recently discussed his bandmate Johnny Depp’s legal battle with Amber Heard. Cooper, 75, shared that he didn’t pay much attention to the trial during their recent Hollywood Vampires tour. During an interview with Vulture about their tour, Cooper admitted that he hadn’t watched any of Depp’s televised trial in Virginia, which ultimately found Heard liable for defamation concerning her 2018 op-ed about abuse allegations. The verdict was delivered on June 1, 2022, while Depp, 60, was touring with musician Jeff Beck in the UK. They have since settled and dropped their appeals, with Heard, 37, paying Depp $1 million in damages. Here’s what Alice Cooper shared.
Alice Cooper shared his thoughts on Johnny Depp and Amber Heard defamation trial
Cooper revealed during his interview with Vulture that Depp’s legal situation didn’t affect the tour. According to Cooper, Johnny was more focused on their performances and the music than the trial. Alice said, “He was just like, ‘Yeah, yeah, what’s the next song?’ For Johnny, it was one of those things where … you can’t say it got blown out of proportion, but I don’t know why they would televise the proceedings, right?” He also mentioned that the trial was televised due to the fame of both parties involved. Cooper also stated that they didn’t discuss the trial during the tour, as it wasn’t a topic of interest to anyone. He believed that the whole situation had been blown out of proportion and turned into a Hollywood spectacle.
When asked about his thoughts on the trial’s outcome, Cooper expressed confidence in Depp’s victory. He believed it was evident because many of Depp’s former partners testified on his behalf, which is a rare occurrence in such cases. “I knew Johnny was gonna win because how many people have other exes literally on their side testifying for him? That never happens,”
He further added. “I turned it right off and said, ‘Well, you know, Johnny will weather this storm and when he’s onstage, he’s our guitar player.’ ” Cooper emphasized that when Depp was on stage, he was solely focused on his role as their guitarist.
Throughout the summer, Johnny Depp toured with the Hollywood Vampires, a band consisting of Depp, Cooper, Joe Perry, and Tommy Henriksen. Despite Depp’s 60th birthday occurring during the tour, there were no extravagant celebrations. Instead, he had a low-key dinner with his bandmates in Istanbul, Turkey.
Depp, who had suffered a fractured ankle in May, had to reschedule some performances to prioritize his health. As the source shared, he was taking care of himself, acknowledging that, at 60, he couldn’t maintain the same pace as he did in his youth.
Hollywood Vampires completed their summer tour, spanning multiple shows across Europe and the US, with their last performance in Bethel, New York, on July 30.
The War of the Roses, a 1989 black comedy based on Warren Adler’s bleak novel of the same name, was a financial hit even as it simultaneously attracted and repelled critics like the Robert Ebert. The movie, which starred Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner as the titular Roses, was “a black, angry, bitter, unrelenting comedy,” Ebert wrote at the time, “a war between the sexes that makes James Thurber’s work on the same subject look almost resigned by comparison.”
If you found yourself thinking of the late critic’s words as you watched Depp v. Heard, the Netflix docuseries about the 2022 libel trial between former husband-and-wife Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, you’re not the only one who saw parallels between the two doomed couples: “School’s Out” singer Alice Cooper says he told Depp the couple should work out their differences by remaking the popular film.
Cooper, who for 11 years has collaborated with Depp as part of rock band Hollywood Vampires, made mention of the reboot idea in an interview published today in the UK newspaper TheTimes. Though Cooper says Depp “never talked” about his stormy relationship with Heard, whom he met in 2009 during production on The Rum Diary, the rocker was able to glean from outside sources that the pair’s relationship went from loving to toxic over the course of their 2014-2016 arc from engagement to divorce.
“I said, ‘I have a great idea. You and Amber do a remake of The War of the Roses. Who wouldn’t go and see that?’” Cooper says he told Depp, who lost a U.K. libel case against The Sun newspaper after it referred to him as a “wife-beater” but won a U.S. libel case against Heard after she referred to herself as “a public figure representing domestic abuse.”
The trial between the pair was a bitter one, not unlike the plot of the Danny DeVito-directed film. In the case of Roses, a wealthy and once-happy couple threaten and kill each other’s pets, physically attack one another, and damage their shared home. While Depp and Heard reached a $7 million divorce settlement after Heard filed a restraining order against her spouse, the Roses faced a far more miserable fate, both killed by a fallen chandelier during a particularly nasty fight.
Based on Cooper’s account, Depp tried to move past Cooper’s cinematic suggestion by turning the conversation back to the band. “He laughed. Then it was, ‘What songs are we doing?’” Cooper said. “Johnny is a good guitarist and in a way he would have been happiest doing that, playing side of stage in a band and not having to deal with the level of attention he gets.”
Johnny Depp will donate the US$1 million defamation settlement he has received from his ex-wife Amber Heard to multiple charities, according to numerous reports.
On Tuesday it was revealed that Depp, 60, would split the funds for donations to five charities: the Make-A-Film Foundation, The Painted Turtle, Red Feather, Marlon Brando’s Tetiaroa Society charity and the Amazonia Fund Alliance.
Depp is reportedly set to donate $200,000 to each charity.
The settlement was allegedly paid by Heard’s insurance company.
Heard, 37, has not commented publicly on this newest development — one that signals the end of the ex-spouses’ years-long series of legal battles in the U.S. and U.K.
In June 2022, a seven-person jury in Virginia found both Heard and Depp guilty of defamation. Depp originally sued Heard over a 2018 op-ed she penned for the Washington Post, in which she referred to herself as a “public figure representing domestic abuse.” The jury ruled in favour of Depp and awarded the actor $10 million in damages. Heard was awarded $2 million in a favourable ruling on one of her three countersuit claims.
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In December, Depp and Heard reached a settlement that saw the Aquaman actor agree to pay Depp $1 million. He pledged to donate the settlement to charity.
Heard’s lawyers refute Depp’s claims she perpetrated a hoax: ‘what would Amber Heard’s motive be?’
At the time, Heard said the decision to settle with Depp was “very difficult” and “not an act of concession.”
“It’s important for me to say that I never chose this,” Heard wrote in a statement shared to social media. “I defended my truth and in doing so my life as I knew it was destroyed.”
She continued, writing, “I make this decision having lost faith in the American legal system, where my unprotected testimony served as entertainment and social media fodder.”
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Lawyers for Depp said the settlement would “formally close the door on this painful chapter for Mr. Depp, who made clear throughout this process that his priority was about bringing the truth to light.”
Since their high-profile defamation lawsuit last year, Depp has starred in the new French-language film, Jeanne du Barry, in which he plays the former King of France Louis XV. He made an appearance at the Cannes International Film Festival for a screening last month.
Heard now lives in Spain. People magazine reported the actor moved to Madrid with her daughter after the Virginia defamation trial ended.
In a video posted to social media, Heard answered questions from a local reporter about her new life. In Spanish, Heard said she’s moved on and loves living in Spain.
She is set to attend Italy’s 69th Taormina Film Festival this month as part of her new movieIn The Fire. Heard plays a widowed American psychiatrist working with a child some believe is possessed by the devil.
The film is her first since DC Studios released Zack Snyder’s Justice League in 2021.
Violence and crime have been part of American history since the earliest explorers arrived on the continent and killed whoever they found before stealing their land. The Onion looks back at the most notorious criminals in the country’s history.
And this summer, you simply can not talk about It Girls without talking about Lily-Rose Depp.
Lily-Rose is a nepo baby (we’ll get to that later), so she already has the makings of classic It Girls like Paris and Nicole. And, as a true Gen Z muse, her Y2K-inspired vibe mirrors the women of the early-2000s. Like Paris, she’s never been shy about liking a party (what I wouldn’t give for an invite). Like Kate Moss, she’s a high fashion model by day with a “rockstar” edge.
Take her stint at Cannes. She’s posing on the red carpet, then smoking a cig outside her hotel. Her French Girl coolness and Mama Vanessa Paradis’ model-inherited looks have served her well. So it’s no wonder she’s all the internet is slavering over. Especially due to her breakout role in the upcoming HBO drama, The Idol.
What is going on with The Idol on HBO?
The Idol is the latest drama from Sam Levinson, the creator of Euphoria. Which is to say, who didn’t expect a messy medley of sex, drugs, and the male gaze? Even before the first signs of trouble came out in a Rolling Stone expose months ago, Levinson was a controversial figure. Euphoria is often criticized for glamorizing drug use, as well as for flat character arcs for many of the cast and the semi-toxic environment on set. While other projects like Malcolm & Marie, which he wrote alongside Zendaya, wrought arguments about exploitation and representation.
This new project is a collaboration with The Weeknd, aka Abel Tesfaye. And Lily-Rose Depp is the star. It follows Depp’s character, Jocelyn, a world-famous pop star recovering from her mother’s death and trying to reclaim her status as the biggest name in Hollywood. Doesn’t sound crazy yet? Well, it’s self-proclaimed as “the sleaziest love story in Hollywood.” And that’s where Tesfaye’s character comes in. When Jocelyn falls for him, she begins a downward spiral that, according to reviews from Cannes, is an exhausting tour of depravity for depravity’s sake.
It’s a star-studded production, featuring many musicians-turned actors such as Jennie from Blackpink, Troye Sivan, Moses Sumney, and more.
It premiered at Cannes on Monday, May 22, and many reviews confirm the reports: although visually stunning, it’s a mess. Depp, by all accounts, gives a riveting performance. And she deserves recognition for her acting chops. But I wish this praise was coming down for literally any other project. The Idol will perform as promised, shocking audiences and provoking reactions, but is that always a good thing?
And yet … despite the problematic creators, its shoddy premise, and the shitshow of the show itself, it still got a 5-minute standing ovation at Cannes.
But what does audience praise at Cannes truly mean anymore? That, of course, brings us to Depp’s father … The Other Depp.
What has Lily-Rose said about Johnny Depp?
It was a father-daughter weekend on the Croisette, with both Lily-Rose and her father, the actor Johnny Depp, debuting projects at Cannes.
J. Depp has a starring role in the French period film Jeanne du Barry, in which he plays King Louis XV. The film was both the first film of the festival and Depp’s first film role since his highly publicized defamation trial against his ex-wife, Amber Heard (not counting his cameo in Rihanna’s Fenty show … yikes).
His appearance caused much controversy at Cannes. Although he won his lawsuit — and although TikTok memes and internet frenzy confirmed he’d emerge from the lawsuit even more beloved than ever — there’s no denying or doubting the acts of abuse he committed against Heard.
As his daughter, Lily-Rose Depp has been fielding questions about her father since the trial — most of which she has declined to answer.
In her infamous 2022 ELLE cover interview, she tried to distance herself from her father’s press by saying: “When it’s something that’s so private and so personal that all of a sudden becomes not so personal…I feel really entitled to my secret garden of thoughts. I also think that I’m not here to answer for anybody, and I feel like for a lot of my career, people have really wanted to define me by the men in my life, whether that’s my family members or my boyfriends, whatever. And I’m really ready to be defined for the things that I put out there.”
However, after her father received a 7-minute standing ovation on opening night, she gushed about it to ET. “I’m super happy for him. I’m super excited,” she said. “And it’s so awesome that we get to do projects that we’re super proud of.”
Speaking of her famous parents, remember what she said about nepo babies?
When both you and your father are standing on one of the most spectacular red carpets of the year, you’re never beating the nepo baby allegations.
Though this is Depp’s breakout role, she has been in the spotlight her whole life — and working in the industry since she was 16.
But she resents the term “nepo baby.” She told ELLE, “ The internet seems to care a lot about that kind of stuff. People are going to have preconceived ideas about you or how you got there, and I can definitely say that nothing is going to get you the part except for being right for the part,” she says.
Though many people have since contested this assertion in the great nepo baby reckoning of 2022, it is what it is. Depp continued: “The internet cares a lot more about who your family is than the people who are casting you in things. Maybe you get your foot in the door, but you still just have your foot in the door. There’s a lot of work that comes after that.”
While I don’t doubt that Depp has worked hard in her career … she’s also a 5’2 runway model. Like, c’mon. Be a little more self-aware.
Who is Lily Rose-Depp Dating
Alongside her disdain for being judged based on her parentage, Depp is equally tired of how the media has linked her to her ex-partners.
We must assume she’s referring to her most high-profile relationship with Timothee Chalamet. The French-American pair made quite the chic couple. Except for maybe those embarrassing pap pics of them making out on a yacht — oh to be young, rich, and in love.
In the past, Depp has remained pretty private about her relationships. The exception, however, is her current relationship with singer, 070 Shake.
This is Depp’s first public relationship with a woman. Shake, who was most recently featured on the hit song “Escapism” by RAYE, was previously linked to Kehlani before debuting a now very-public, very hands-on relationship with Depp. The two are not shy about PDA. They publicly lavish each other with affection and post about their relationship on social media.
This fresh approach to her dating life might be part of a new era. Who knows? Perhaps her role as Jocelyn brought out a new persona — one that is more prone to sharing her life with the world.
Whatever the reason, Depp is cementing her icon status in Cannes. From her vintage Chanel outfits to her It Girl attitude, Lily-Rose is one to watch. Even if you don’t tune in to watch her show, The Idol.
Johnny Depp and his castmates received a seven-minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival during the screening of the French-language film “Jeanne du Barry.” Videos on social media show Depp becoming teary-eyed during the praise.
Depp made global headlines last year during his legal battle against his ex-wife Amber Heard, who he sued last year, saying an op-ed she wrote about being a victim of abuse was defamation, though the column did not name him. The weekslong trial was highly publicized and each party testified in graphic detail about alleged abuse they suffered. In the end, the jury awarded Depp $10.35 million and Heard $2 million.
During a panel for the film in Cannes, Depp said he is aware of the controversy that follows him. “We’re here to talk about a film, but it’s like asking a question, ‘How are you doing?’ But what’s underneath in the subtext is ‘God I hate you,’” he said.
“The majority of what you’ve been reading for the last five or six years in regards to me and my life, the majority of what you read is fantastically, horrifically written fiction,” he said.
American actor Johnny Depp at Cannes Film Festival 2023. Jeanne du Barry Photocall. Cannes (France), May 17th, 2023
Rocco Spaziani/Archivio Spaziani/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images
During the legal battle against Heard, who counter-sued Depp, the actor said he lost acting jobs and money because of the op-ed she wrote. He said Disney dropped him from the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise, in which he starred as Jack Sparrow. Heard’s lawyer argued that happened before the op-ed was published.
At the panel for “Jeanne du Barry,” which Depp’s production company IN.2 Film helped produce, Depp said he doesn’t feel boycotted by Hollywood – because he doesn’t think about Hollywood.
“It’s a strange, funny time where everybody would love to be able to be themselves, but they can’t. They must fall in line with the person in front of them. If you want to live that life, I wish you the best,” he said, adding he’s not done with acting.
The star’s appearance at Cannes received mixed reactions. While he received the lengthy standing ovation and fans cheered for him on the red carpet, others opposed the praise.
Some people used the hashtag #CannesYouNot to show displeasure with his presence because of the controversial legal battle against Heard, who some felt was wronged.
Actor Johnny Depp said he has “no further need for Hollywood” during an appearance at the Cannes Film Festival for the premiere of his film “Jeanne du Barry.”
The actor met with the press to answer questions after the opening night of his French film, directed by Maïwenn, in which Depp plays King Louis XV and speaks in French. “Jeanne du Barry” marks Depp’s first movie since 2020’s “Minamata.”
Most recently, Depp was in the headlines after suing his ex-wife, actor Amber Heard, for defamation. Heard alleged that Depp abused her — an allegation Depp claimed hurt his ability to get work. The jury largely sided with the “Pirates of the Caribbean” star in the case, awarding him $10.35 million last June, while Heard was awarded $2 million in a counterclaim.
Johnny Depp attends the “Jeanne Du Barry” press conference at the 76th annual Cannes film festival at Palais des Festivals on May 17, 2023, in Cannes, France.
Stephane Cardinale – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images
Supporters of Heard have questioned Depp’s appearance at the film festival, launching the #CannesYouNot campaign on social media. The 59-year-old actor, however, did not appear to be concerned with the criticism or his perception within the industry.
“I don’t feel boycotted by Hollywood, because I don’t think about Hollywood,” Depp said. “It’s a strange, funny time where everybody would love to be able to be themselves, but they can’t. They must fall in line with the person in front of them. If you want to live that life, I wish you the best.”
Depp said that he is focused on promoting his new film and the acting process, adding that he is not going anywhere.
“I’ve had about 17 comebacks apparently,” Depp said. “I keep wondering about the word ‘comeback’ because I didn’t go anywhere. As a matter of fact, I live about 45 minutes away.”
Johnny Depp is back, but critics aren’t thrilled with the star’s latest performance.
Depp, 59, appeared at the opening night of the Cannes International Film Festival on Tuesday for a screening of his new French-language film, Jeanne du Barry, in which he plays the former King of France Louis XV.
King Louis XV is the first movie role Depp has stepped into since winning a high-profile defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife Amber Heard last year. He sued Heard over a Washington Post op-ed in which she referred to herself as a “public figure representing domestic abuse.” Depp was awarded US$10 million in compensatory damages and $350,000 in punitive damages.
Jury awards Johnny Depp $15 million in damages in defamation suit against Amber Heard
Almost a year later, Depp stood before a cheering crowd at Cannes, who gave the teary-eyed actor a seven-minute standing ovation after the film’s screening.
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Depp coyly winked at the camera in the room and appeared grateful as the French audience proved they are still head over heels for the American actor.
Johnny Depp is met with a rapturous standing ovation as he enters the Palais for the premiere of ‘Jeanne du Barry.’ #Cannes2023pic.twitter.com/C9LVJ6UGvb
However, despite the festivalgoers’ reactions, critics have published tepid reviews about both Jeanne du Barry and Depp’s performance.
According to a Variety critic, though the film “demands to be taken seriously,” Depp fell short and appeared “strangely uncomfortable in the role — adequate but not especially engaged.”
“Depp’s the kind of player who delivers practically every performance with a wink, so it’s odd that even when his Louis is actually supposed to be winking (at Jeanne), the sparkle isn’t there,” wrote Peter Debruge.
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Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian gave the movie a middling three-star review. He called the film “an entertaining spectacle, only partly aware of its own vanity.” As for the acting, Bradshaw wrote that Depp was better than a simply stunt-casted actor, but claimed all of the performances were “a little opaque.”
A review from Jordan Mintzer of The Hollywood Reporter called the film “sumptuously made” but “kind of bland.” He wrote that Depp’s performance “offers a few early thrills and then mostly yawns.”
Still, Depp appeared staunch about his faith in Jeanne du Barry — and altogether unbothered by those who have questioned his comeback.
At a press conference for the film on Wednesday, Depp — who was 42 minutes late to the event — said “abstract whispers” about his personal life shouldn’t cloud the film.
“The majority of what you have been reading the last four or five years … with regard to me and my life, what you’ve read is fantastically, horrifically written fiction,” Depp said.
“I mean it’s boring, isn’t it? Aren’t you guys sick of it by now? It’s weird”
Johnny Depp reminds the media that the focus should be on the film, not his life, of which he calls the reporting of as, “fantastically, horrifically written fiction”
Depp was also asked if he felt “boycotted” by Hollywood amid the years-long dramas of his defamation lawsuits. (As well as Heard, Depp also sued the British tabloid The Sun over an article was published calling him a “wife beater.” In 2020, he lost the trial when a U.K. judge decided The Sun’s claims were “substantially true.”)
“Did I feel boycotted by Hollywood? You’d have to not have a pulse to feel like, ‘No. None of this is happening. It’s a weird joke,’” Depp said. “When you’re asked to resign from a film you’re doing because of something that is merely a function of vowels and consonants floating in the air, yes, you feel boycotted.”
Depp was most notably asked to step down from the Harry Potter spin-off franchise Fantastic Beasts. Now, though, he says he’s not interested in returning to studio projects.
“I don’t feel boycotted by Hollywood, because I don’t think about Hollywood. I don’t have much further need for Hollywood, myself,” Depp continued. “It’s a strange, funny time where everybody would love to be able to be themselves, but they can’t. They must fall in line with the person in front of them. If you want to live that life, I wish you the best.”
Depp’s presence at the Cannes Film Festival has been the subject of fierce debate. Buzz about his attendance has pretty well usurped all other conversations about the festival, especially online. Even actors starring in unrelated films have had to face questions about whether Depp should have been invited to the festival.
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Brie Larson reacts to journalist asking her about Johnny Depp’s movie opening the Cannes Film Festival:
“You’re asking me that? I’m sorry, I don’t understand the correlation or why me specifically.”
Jeanne du Barry is the story of Jeanne Bécu (played by French actor and the film’s director, Maïwenn), the illegitimate daughter of a monk and a cook who becomes a social pariah and King Louis XV’s final mistress.
