Johnny Depp Says Hollywood ‘Boycotted’ Him in Interview Promoting New Film

In a Sunday Times interview for his latest film Minamata—which has him cast in the starring role—Johnny Depp lamented that Hollywood “boycotted” him after Amber Heard’s allegations of domestic abuse.

It would have to be a pretty ineffective boycott, now wouldn’t it? Though the movie has so far only been released in the U.K., MGM reportedly secured the U.S. rights to the film, as well as those for Canada, Germany, and Switzerland. In July, a spokesperson for the studio said the film’s U.S. release date “is TBA.” But forget Minamata—Heard’s public accounts of abuse against Depp date back to at least 2016, when she shared photos of the injuries she said she received from Depp and took out a restraining order against the actor. Since then, Depp has shot about a dozen movies and shorts, including two Fantastic Beasts films and a Pirates of the Caribbean movie.

Nonetheless, in his conversation with the Sunday Times, he insisted on portraying himself as “one man, one actor in an unpleasant and messy situation, over the last number of years.” He then went on to reassure the outlet that he’s working on bringing “things to light,” making a rather convoluted comment about how the audience members of his films constitute his “employers”—not (presumably) production studios.

“They made all of those studios rich, but they forgot that a long time ago,” Depp said. “I certainly haven’t. I’m proud of these people, because of what they are trying to say, which is the truth. The truth they’re trying to get out since it doesn’t in more mainstream publications. It’s a long road that sometimes gets clunky. Sometimes just plain stupid. But they stayed on the ride with me and it’s for them I will fight.”

These remarks are both banal and revealing. How accused men explain their circumstances (which, as in Depp’s case, have not seemed to have changed as dramatically as they think) often serves to show how unapologetic they are, and how little they’ve thought about their behavior. Depp likening Hollywood’s #MeToo movement to a “boycott” is trivializing, reminding us that the consequences he’s faced so far have been a bit trivial. For the most part, Depp has continued working apace, and even when he was asked to step back from the most recent Fantastic Beasts film, he still walked away with his whole salary (despite shooting just a single scene).

But hey—if he ever needs to talk more about a so-called “boycott,” apparently publications like the Sunday Times are open to a sit-down.