“Don’t feel boycotted by Hollywood”- When Johnny Depp spoke out about Hollywood’s reaction as he promoted Jeanne Du Barry

Johnny Depp appeared at the 76th Cannes Film Festival for the premiere of his French film Jeanne du Barry on May 16, 2023. It marked his first public appearance since his high-profile court case against ex-wife Amber Heard in 2022.

Johnny Depp received significant blowback from the Hollywood community after Heard accused him of abuse in 2018. He was reportedly dropped from several big-budget films and his image suffered due to the legal drama that unfolded over several years.

When the 59-year-old Depp arrived for the press conference, a reporter from Deadline asked him whether he felt boycotted by Hollywood. The Finding Neverland actor responded, in part, by saying:

"Of course, you know, I mean when you're asked to resign from a film you're doing because of something that is merely a bunch of kind of vowels and consonants floating in the air, yeah, you feel a bit boycotted."

He went on to explain why he didn't feel that way anymore:

"I don’t feel boycotted by Hollywood, because I don’t think about it. I don't have much further need for Hollywood myself. It’s a very 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."

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Johnny Depp starred in Jeanne Du Barry after a three-year hiatus

Johnny Depp seen with the cast of Jeanne du Barry at the photocall in 2023 (Image via Getty)

Jeanne Du Barry was Depp's first film since his legal battle with ex-wife Amber Heard made headlines worldwide. In his first leading role in three years, the actor played the French King Louis XV opposite Maïwenn, who played his titular mistress in the period drama.

The film premiered on the opening night of the 2023 Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday, May 16, 2023. Johnny Depp’s return to film was labeled a comeback, which the actor wasn't fully onboard with. He insisted that he was always around:

"I’ve had about 17 comebacks, apparently. I keep wondering about the word comeback because I didn’t go anywhere…. Maybe people stopped calling out of whatever their fear was at the time. But no, I didn’t go nowhere. I’ve been sitting around."

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The legal drama between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard began in 2018

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard seen at the premiere of A Danish Girl (Image via Getty)

The whole Depp-Heard fiasco started in December 2018, when Amber Heard wrote an op-ed for the Washington Post, in which she called herself a survivor of domestic and se*ual violence. However, she did not name her ex-husband in the piece.

The same year, Depp sued the British publication, The Sun, for libel after he was called a 'wife beater' in one of its articles. But, he lost the case in 2020, with the court calling the claims against the actor "substantially true."

Also during this time in November 2020, Depp turned down an eight-figure salary to star in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore after being reportedly asked by Warner Bros. to step down.

Next came the highly-publicized defamation trial, which took place between April and June 2022 in Virginia. The six-week trial was televised and people got to hear, for the first time, shocking details about the volatile relationship and turbulent marriage between Depp and Heard.

In the end, the jury sided with Depp and awarded him $10 million in damages. Additionally, he was ordered to pay $2 million in damages to Heard.

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Johnny Depp leaves his legal troubles behind to direct his latest film project

Johnny Depp seen with the cast of Modì, Three Days On The Wing Of Madness at the Rome Film Festival (Image via Getty)

Johnny Depp also returns to the big screen with his latest project, Modì, Three Days on the Wing of Madness as a director. This is his second directorial venture after 1997's The Brave. The film is based on the life of the late 19th-century painter and sculptor, Amedeo Modigliani. It is set in 1916's war-torn Paris and focuses on a crucial 72-hour period in the life of the Bohemian Italian artist.

The Italian actor Riccardo Scamarcio stars as Modi, while Al Pacino plays the American collector Maurice Gangnat. Other actors starring in the film include Stephen Graham, Antonia Desplat, Ryan McParland, Sally Phillips, Bruno Gouery, Luisa Ranieri, etc. The movie premiered in Italy at the Rome Film Festival on October 26, 2024, and is set to release in Italy on November 21, 2024.

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