Johnny Depp, a Hollywood icon, has spoken out against "cancel culture," saying that the issue has progressed to the point where anyone's life can be destroyed if an accuser is prepared to turn the mob against them.
"I can promise you that no one is safe — not one of you, not anyone out that door," Depp told reporters at the San Sebastian Film Festival in Spain on Wednesday, where he was to receive a lifetime achievement award. "As long as someone is willing to say one sentence, no one is safe."
The "Pirates of the Caribbean" star went on to say that the ramifications of a cancel-culture attack may be devastating. "It only takes one sentence, and then the ground is gone, the carpet has been pulled," Depp stated. "It isn't just me who has experienced this. A number of people have experienced it... Unfortunately, people learn to believe that it is normal or that it is them when it is not."
Depp was forced to leave Warner Bros.' "Fantastic Beasts" franchise in 2020 after losing a libel lawsuit against the publisher of the UK's Sun newspaper, which referred to him as a "wife-beater" in an April 2018 piece. He has sued ex-wife Amber Heard for defamation for $50 million, claiming that her abuse allegations against him were false.
"I believe that if you are armed with the truth, that is all you need," Depp added, presumably referring to his unsuccessful libel case. It makes no difference whether a judgment has taken some artistic license."
Despite being the highest-paid actor in the world as recently as 2012, when he reportedly earned $75 million, the 58-year-old actor revealed last month that he believes Hollywood is boycotting him. His most recent film, "Minamata," has yet to be released in the United States, presumably due to the abuse allegations against him.
On Wednesday, Depp stated that individuals must fight the cancel culture. "Stand up, don't sit down, when there's an injustice, whether it's against you, someone you love, or someone you believe in."
"It can be seen as an event in history that lasted for however long it lasted, this cancel culture, this instant rush to judgment based on what essentially amounts to polluted air," he remarked of his fall from grace in Hollywood.
Depp also attacked Hollywood's current status, saying it's "certainly not what it used to be." "How much more formula do we need from studios like this?" he continued. How much more contempt do we need as an audience...? Hollywood, in my opinion, has grossly miscalculated the audience."
Depp admitted that he was concerned that his appearance at the San Sebastian Film Festival would "offend people," despite his call for people to defy cancel mobs. He complimented officials in San Sebastian for their "unwavering support" and for refusing to buy "what has been, for far too long...some notion of me that doesn't exist."
Depp said, "I haven't done anything." "All I do is make movies."
