Jack Gruber-USA TODAY
Audio By Carbonatix
Johnny Depp, out promoting the release of his new film Modi: Three Days on the Wing of Madness, which he directed, said that he was a “crash test dummy” for the #MeToo era. Depp went through a highly-publicized trial with ex-wife Amber Heard after she made allegations of domestic violence when she filed for divorce.
Amber Heard’s allegations against Johnny Depp sparked to two high-profile trials that generated headlines across the world. In 2018, Heard wrote a Washington Post op-ed describing herself as a victim of domestic violence, although she did not specifically name Depp.
Depp then sued Heard for defamation over the op-ed, seeking $50 million, and sued British tabloid The Sun for describing him as a “wife beater” in response to Heard’s editorial.
Around the same time, Depp announced his departure from Warner Bros.’ Harry Potter prequel franchise Fantastic Beasts, stating that the studio had asked him to step down following the verdict. He has not starred in a major Hollywood production since.
In 2022, the Depp v. Heard trial unfolded in Virginia and became a televised media spectacle. The jury ultimately largely sided with Depp, awarding him $10 million in damages. Heard, however, was also awarded $2 million for a counterclaim.
“Look, it had gone far enough. I knew I’d have to semi-eviscerate myself. Everyone was saying, ‘It’ll go away!’ But I can’t trust that. What will go away? The fiction pawned around the f—— globe? No it won’t. If I don’t try to represent the truth it will be like I’ve actually committed the acts I am accused of,” Depp told The Sunday Times.
“And my kids will have to live with it. Their kids. Kids that I’ve met in hospitals. So the night before the trial in Virginia I didn’t feel nervous. If you don’t have to memorize lines, if you’re just speaking the truth? Roll the dice… None of this was going be easy, but I didn’t care. I thought, ‘I’ll fight until the bitter fucking end.’ And if I end up pumping gas? That’s all right. I’ve done that before.”
“Look, none of this was going be easy, but I didn’t care. I thought, ‘I’ll fight until the bitter fucking end.’ And if I end up pumping gas? That’s all right. I’ve done that before.”
Having not starred in a major Hollywood production since 2018, Depp will be making his return to movie theaters next year when he stars in Lionsgate’s Day Drinker alongside Penelope Cruz and Madelyn Cline.