Johnny Depp breaks silence on Hollywood elites who betrayed him during Amber Heard lawsuit: 'They were at my kids' parties...'

Economic Times

4 hours ago

'Crash Test Dummy' for #MeToo? Depp Says He Took the Hits for Hollywood
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During the interview, Depp provocatively called himself a 'crash test dummy' for the #MeToo movement, alleging that the tide of social justice took a personal toll on his life and reputation.
The Long Road to Court
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Post-Trial Fallout
Johnny Depp is back in the headlines—this time, not for a courtroom drama or red carpet appearance, but for peeling back the layers of his emotional scars left behind by the Amber Heard defamation trial . In a searing new interview with The Sunday Times, the 62-year-old actor didn't mince words when addressing the emotional and personal fallout he endured after being dragged through the public wringer. 'There are people, and I'm thinking of three, who did me dirty,' Depp confessed, sending shockwaves through Hollywood's tight-lipped elite.The unnamed individuals, Depp says, were not just business acquaintances—they were friends. People who once attended his children's parties and toasted to his success, but remained silent or turned their backs when the actor needed their support the most. 'They were at my kids' parties. Throwing them in the air,' he said. 'And, look, I understand people who could not stand up [for me], because the most frightening thing to them was making the right choice.'During the interview, Depp provocatively called himself a 'crash test dummy' for the #MeToo movement , alleging that the tide of social justice took a personal toll on his life and reputation. 'I was like a crash test dummy for MeToo,' he said, describing how he absorbed blow after blow while the industry watched in silence. 'And so I wanted from the hundreds of people I've met in that industry to see who was playing it safe. 'Better go woke!''Referring to the cultural atmosphere during the height of the movement, Depp added, 'The confetti machine [is] going because what do they want? Dough.' The metaphor was his way of describing what he calls Hollywood's hypocrisy: people who celebrate you in public, criticize you behind closed doors, and keep cashing in regardless of your fate.The explosive trial that inspired these reflections began brewing years earlier. In May 2016, Amber Heard accused Depp of domestic violence and filed for divorce shortly thereafter. Though a settlement followed, Depp reignited the legal battle in 2019 with a $50 million defamation suit over a Washington Post op-ed in which Heard discussed her experience with abuse—without naming Depp directly.The courtroom saga gripped the world when the trial went live in April 2022. Over six weeks of televised testimony, both actors accused each other of harrowing abuse, creating a media circus that split public opinion. In June, the jury ruled largely in Depp's favor, awarding him $10.35 million in damages. Heard received $2 million in her countersuit. By December, the case was settled, with Heard agreeing to pay $1 million to be donated to charity.Following the trial, Heard relocated to Spain with her daughter Oonagh, quietly stepping away from the spotlight. But for Depp, the spotlight never quite dimmed. His recent comments have once again raised questions about loyalty, accountability, and how public narratives around private pain often get twisted beyond recognition.'I was with one agent for 30 years, but she spoke in court about how difficult I was,' Depp revealed in the interview. 'That's death by confetti, these fake mo*****rs who lie to you, celebrate you, say all sorts of horror behind your back, yet keep the money.'While Depp has not named the individuals who 'did him dirty,' his message is loud and clear: the most painful scars are often inflicted not by enemies, but by friends who stay quiet when it matters most.