Controversial star Johnny Depp says he has "no further need for Hollywood" now. He has been mostly black-balled by Hollywood in recent years.
At the Cannes Film Festival premiere of his new film Jeanne du Barry, Depp was asked by reporters if he feels "boycotted" by Hollywood since his real-life courtroom drama with ex-wife Amber Heard unfolded.
Depp answered in the affirmative, but claimed it doesn't make much difference to him.
See his comments below.
\u201cJohnny Depp: \u201cDid I feel boycotted by Hollywood?...When you\u2019re asked to resign from a film you\u2019re doing because of something that is merely a function of vowels and consonants floating in the air, yes you feel boycotted." https://t.co/VIiTdGy6dP #Cannes\u201d— Variety (@Variety) 1684322449
Depp told reporters:
"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.'"
"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 asked to step down from the Harry Potter spin-off Fantastic Beasts franchise in 2020 after he lost a libel case in the UK against The Sun newspaper pertaining to the same abuse allegations by Heard that landed she and Depp in a courtroom last year.
The jury in that case mostly sided with Depp, who argued in part that Heard's abuse allegations had caused him to lose work. Heard was ordered to pay $10 million in damages to Depp, while he was ordered to pay Heard $2 million.
Depp went on to say while the coerced resignation stung, he no longer cares because he's not interested in Hollywood anyway.
“I don’t feel boycotted by Hollywood, because I don’t think about Hollywood. I don’t have much further need for Hollywood, myself."
"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."
Okay then.
People on Twitter were deeply divided in their response to Depp's Cannes comments.
Many found them distasteful.
\u201c@Variety What an arrogant man he is.\u201d— Variety (@Variety) 1684322449
\u201c@Variety These vowels? \nhttps://t.co/G9XwwzlYT6\u201d— Variety (@Variety) 1684322449
\u201c@Variety If he hadn't sued the Sun newspaper and been exposed as a wife beater & a rapist, he'd never have lost his role in Fantastic Beasts. The accusations never harmed him.\u201d— Variety (@Variety) 1684322449
\u201c@Variety The vowels A I and the consonants R P ST\u201d— Variety (@Variety) 1684322449
\u201c@Variety He has outstayed his welcome. Loved his movies in the 90s but now he\u2019s obnoxious and toxic.\u201d— Variety (@Variety) 1684322449
But others applauded Depp's take on the matter.
\u201c@Variety Such an amazing response against group think by depp. \u201cI\u2019ll be on the other side somewhere.\u201d\u201d— Variety (@Variety) 1684322449
\u201c@Variety I agree with all he's saying. It is their loss not his.\u201d— Variety (@Variety) 1684322449
\u201c@Variety LOVE seeing him getting his confidence back answering questions in his own in-depth thoughtful, slow, subdued manner of speaking. This is Johnny he thinks things out in an artful manner. It is actually a brilliant way of saying the images of words are seen before reason is used.\u201d— Variety (@Variety) 1684322449
\u201c@Variety I can feel his disappointment in Hollywood. Honestly, he doesn't need them anymore. He can make his own movies, and we'll watch them!\u201d— Variety (@Variety) 1684322449
\u201c@Variety I'm so glad Johnny Depp is getting to enjoy his life again! \ud83d\udc4f\ud83d\udc4f\ud83d\udc4f\ud83d\udc4f\u201d— Variety (@Variety) 1684322449
Jeanne du Barry is Depp's first major film release since 2020.
He plays Louis XV in the French-language film, directed by French actress and director Maïwenn. It does not yet have US distribution.
Depp's last box-office hit was 2018's Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.
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