Johnny Depp Is Still Getting His Paycheck for 'Fantastic Beasts'

By Marie Solis  |  November 10, 2020 | 12:20am
CelebritiesDirt Bag
Johnny Depp Is Still Getting His Paycheck for 'Fantastic Beasts'
Photo:Gareth Cattermole (Getty Images)

Last week Johnny Depp, in an Instagram post of a note he typed in a Courier font—the canonical form of the celebrity apology or, more often, non-apology—broke the news that he had been asked to resign from the Fantastic Beasts franchise.

But now, thanks to The Hollywood Reporter, we have more details about just how the decision was made internally, and, crucially, the fact that Depp will still walk away with his full salary despite only filming a single scene for the latest installment due to the nature of his contract.

According to THR, Warner Bros.’ film chief Toby Emmerich waited to make the decision until after a judge ruled against Depp’s libel case against The Sun, which the actor pursued when the paper referred to him as a “wife-beater” in a 2018 story. And despite J.K. Rowling’s so-far unrelenting support of Depp in face of allegations that he abused his ex-wife Amber Heard, THR reports that she didn’t push back against the studio’s decision:

Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that Warners wanted to allow due process to take its course before making a decision on the embattled star’s future in the franchise. Once Judge Andrew Nicol ruled that he accepted Heard’s testimony, which was detailed and painted a picture of Depp as an abuser, Emmerich’s decision was a fait accompli, with the studio opting to recast the role less than midway through the franchise.

Depp’s lawyers have said they plan to appeal the judge’s decision. Either way, the actor will be back in court soon enough for a separate case, related to an op-ed Heard wrote for the Washington Post that he says cost him different a movie role.

Zach Braff has broken his silence about his relationship with Florence Pugh, which was the subject of scrutiny earlier this year because of their difference in age—Braff is 45 and Pugh is 24.

The initial backlash began after Pugh posted a photo of Braff on her Instagram in April wishing him a happy birthday, which she later followed up with a video addressing the criticism of their relationship. “I would never in my life ever, ever tell someone who they can and cannot love. It is not your place,” Pugh said at the time. “And really, it has nothing to do with you.”

In an interview with Mr Porter’s fashion and culture site The Journal, Braff said he hasn’t spoken out about the backlash before because Pugh handled it so well. “She literally sat down, hit record on her phone and said that,” Braff told the outlet. “I thought: how could I possibly follow anything as intelligent and articulate as that? So, I chose not to.”

I absolutely refuse to do any age gap discourse, which is boring and has been thoroughly exhausted. (Their relationship seems fine to me!)

Here’s the video Braff is referring to: