Johnny Depp, whose movie career has suffered since he lost a libel case against a British tabloid that called him a "wife beater," portrayed himself as a victim of "cancel culture" at a film festival in Spain on Wednesday. He slammed the "instant rush to judgment" and said it could happen to anybody. "It’s so far out of hand now that I can promise you that no one is safe. Not one of you. No one out that door. No one is safe,” he told reporters at the San Sebastian Film Festival, per Variety. "It takes one sentence and there’s no more ground, the carpet has been pulled," said Depp, who was speaking before he received a Donostia career award at the prestigious festival.
Depp didn't directly refer to the British court case or ex-wife Amber Heard, but he spoke of judgments taking "artistic license," the AP reports. "When there is an injustice, whether it’s against you or someone you love, or someone you believe in, stand up, don't sit down," Depp said. He is suing Heard for $50 million over an op-ed in which she described herself as a survivor of domestic violence. She has filed a $100 million countersuit.
Depp "didn't appear to have an issue with addressing sensitive topics," Deadline reports, but the host of the press conference rejected a follow-up question and told reporters to stick to questions about his career. Depp also spoke about the film industry, slamming the "studio system, the grudge matches, the pandemonium and chaos of cinematic releases to streaming." "They realize they’re just as disposable as I am," he said. "Some more so."
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The award Depp received is the festival's honor and the decision to grant it to him was controversial. "What is the message that remains when men denounced for sexist violence are applauded, photographed on red carpets, surrounded by unconditional fans?" asked Spain’s Association of Female Filmmakers and Audiovisual Media, per the AP. (Last month, Depp blamed his problems on the "absurdity of media mathematics.")
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