Johnny Depp Says Hollywood Is Boycotting Him

Johnny Depp has spoken out for the first time since losing his libel suit against a British publication, claiming that Hollywood has "boycotted" him. 

The case was in connection to an article in The Sun in which it referred to the actor as a "wife beater" amid accusations of domestic violence from his ex-wife, Amber Heard. As a result, Depp exited his leading role in Warner Bros.' "Fantastic Beasts" franchise. Then MGM reportedly switched the U.S. release of his latest film, "Minamata," from February 2021 to TBA in a move that Depp said felt as if he was being blackballed by Hollywood.

"Some films touch people and this affects those in 'Minamata' and people who experience similar things," Depp told The Sunday Times. "And for anything … for Hollywood’s boycott of me? One man, one actor in an unpleasant and messy situation, over the last number of years?"

Depp added that he is "moving towards where I need to go to make all that … to bring things to light."

Also in the interview, Depp called his fall from grace an "absurdity of media mathematics."

"Whatever I've gone through, I've gone through," he continued. "But, ultimately, this particular arena of my life has been so absurd ..."

Depp continues to face backlash, most recently from a group of female filmmakers and charities who slammed the San Sebastian Film Festival in northern Spain, which announced last week that it would be awarding the "Pirates of the Caribbean" star with a lifetime achievement award.

Following this, the Karlovy Vary Film Festival in the Czech Republic revealed that it would also be paying tribute to Depp — a decision that some have said condones abuse against women.

"This speaks very badly of the festival and its leadership, and transmits a terrible message to the public: 'It doesn’t matter if you are an abuser as long as you are a good actor,'" Cristina Andreu, the president of Spain's Association of Female Filmmakers and Audiovisual Media, told the Associated Press. 

"When a perpetrator is celebrated, allowing them to continue to garner success and public approval suggests that abuse is acceptable and does not matter," added Sophie Francis-Cansfield, campaigns and policy manager at Women's Aid, according to the BBC. "Survivors must be believed and supported. It is crucial that survivors know that their experiences will be taken seriously and that abuse will not be tolerated by anyone."

Related Stories:

• Johnny Depp Threatened to Kill Me, Says Amber Heard
• Amber Heard Accuses Depp of Throwing Bottles Like 'Grenades'