Johnny Depp's Candid Moment: Declaring Independence from Hollywood and Reflecting on a Perceived Boycott.
On the prestigious stage of the Cannes Film Festival, a mere day subsequent to his first movie screening in a trilogy of years, Johnny Depp stepped into the limelight to candidly declare his autonomy from Hollywood.
The actor, portraying King Louis XV in the French masterpiece "Jeanne du Barry," directed by and featuring Maïwenn, surfaced for a scarce public occasion to field queries from the eager press.
Depp's appearance was in the wake of a legal triumph against his former spouse, Amber Heard, with this being his debut performance since last year's favorable jury verdict. The press conference even witnessed Depp articulating his thoughts in the graceful French language.
Depp's Struggles and Triumph in 2022 Defamation Trial
The defamation trial of 2022 saw Johnny Depp laying bare the professional impediments he endured due to Amber Heard's charges against him.
The legal drama culminated in a triumphant ruling for Depp, with Heard mandated to compensate him with a staggering $10 million in damages.
This decision substantiated Depp's contention that she fabricated accusations about him mistreating her during their ephemeral matrimony. In an isolated context, the verdict also entitled Heard to $2 million.
Standing Ovation at Cannes and Depp's Feelings of Alienation
At Cannes, Johnny Depp, the emblematic face behind characters in 'Pirates Of The Caribbean' and 'Edward Scissorhands,' was greeted with rapturous applause and a standing ovation.
On May 17, within the confines of the film's press conference, he openly conveyed his sense of estrangement from Hollywood.
Depp's candid confessions revealed a lingering sentiment of desertion after being severed from various endeavors.
On being probed regarding Hollywood's potential animosity, he responded, "You'd have to not have a pulse at that point to feel like, 'No, none of this is happening. This is actually just 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.'"
An Unwavering Stance and Media Criticism
#JohnnyDepp says he was boycotted by Hollywood, but he is concentrating on his career outside of 'Tinseltown' at the #JeanneDuBarry Press Conference at #Cannes2023
— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) May 17, 2023
📸 Ming Yeung/Getty pic.twitter.com/vXhQQpRDqL
Following high-profile instances, such as his requested withdrawal from the "Harry Potter" derivative series "Fantastic Beasts," Johnny Depp has candidly voiced his disinterest in chasing further studio collaborations.
"Do I feel a boycott now? No, not at all. I don’t feel boycotted by Hollywood because I don’t think about Hollywood. I don’t have much further need for Hollywood myself, I think it’s a very strange, funny time where everybody wants to be themselves, but they can’t, they must fall in line, and conform — and if you want to lead this life, I’ll be on the other side," he proclaimed.
In addition to this, Depp lambasted the media for allegedly disseminating distorted articles and sensationalized, fallacious information about him, stating, “With regard to me and my life, the majority of what you've read is fantastically, horrifically written fiction.”
The Myth of the "Comeback"
"Jeanne du Barry" is being heralded as Depp's glorious resurgence to the silver screen after a hiatus of three years, spent grappling with legal wrangles against Heard. However, Depp himself negated the notion of a "comeback."
“They’re using it as a kind of catchphrase. ‘The guy’s making a comeback.’ I’ve had about 17 comebacks by the way, apparently, I keep wondering about the word ‘comeback’ because I didn’t go anywhere. As a matter of fact, I live about 45 minutes away so, yeah. Maybe, maybe people stopped calling. I don’t know what their fear was at the time. I didn’t go nowhere. I’ve been sitting around. So ‘comeback’ is almost like I’m going to come out and do a tap dance or something like that,” Depp poignantly remarked.