Johnny Depp’s Publicist Says ‘Pirates’ Return Rumor is ‘Made Up’

Depp's rep shuts down reports that the actor would be paid $300 million for his return to the Pirates franchise.

CelebritiesDirt Bag
Johnny Depp’s Publicist Says ‘Pirates’ Return Rumor is ‘Made Up’
Photo:Ron Sachs/Consolidated News Pictures (Getty Images)

As the world waits to see just how uncancelled Johnny Depp will end up being following his legal victory in his defamation case against Amber Heard, there is, at least a slight indication where thing aren’t going: to sea in a giant boat. Depp’s rep has refuted a rumor that the actor will be paid $300 million for his return to Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.

During the defamation trial, Depp claimed he’d been dropped from the sixth Pirates movie days after the publication of Heard’s 2018 Washington Post op-ed about abuse at the center of Depp’s lawsuit. On cross exam, Depp seemed to indicate that Disney’s wariness of working with him pre-dated Heard’s piece. He said, “Two years had gone by of constant worldwide talk about me being this wife beater. So I’m sure that Disney was trying to cut ties to be safe. The MeToo movement was in full swing at that point.”

Cut to Monday, when the rumor of Depp’s $300 million return to the franchise circulated, apparently via an unsourced item on the website Poptopic, which, what even is that website? According to E! News, Depp’s rep told NBC News, “This is made up.” Well, RIP, Poptopic. We hardly knew ye.

Meanwhile in May, Pirates producer Jerry Bruckheimer said that Depp had not been asked back to the franchise, which is expected to continue with two scripts in development. “Not at this point. The future is yet to be decided,” he said. The Depp is still unwritten.


  • The girls are fighting! (And by “girls,” I mean Hollywood publicists…over the future of the Golden Globes.) [Variety]
  • Wendy Williams will make her return to public talking via podcast, according to her manager. This makes so much sense. [TMZ]
  • Britney Spears’s ex-husband Jason Alexander will stand trial after crashing her wedding earlier this month, reportedly while armed with a knife. [Billboard]
  • On Downton Abbey franchise, star Hugh Bonneville says, “It might be the right time to stop.” Might???????? [The Hollywood Reporter]
  • Rachel Uchitel is reportedly shopping a book that will detail her headline-crashing affair with Tiger Woods. But is it too 2000-and-late to tell that story? [Page Six]
  • ER’s Mary Mara is dead at 61 after suspected drowning. [E! News]
20 Comments
Oldest
Newest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Share Tweet Submit Pin