Johnny Depp Alleges Hollywood Boycott: Absurdity of Media Mathematics

Johnny Depp also exited the Fantastic Beasts franchise after the ruling of his libel case.

Hollywood Star Johnny Depp opened up about losing his libel case to ex-wife, Amber Heard, in an interview with The Sunday Times. Depp explained his legal situation and talked about allegedly being boycotted by the Hollywood film industry since Minamata (his latest movie) which still awaits its release in the US.

The actor’s ex wife, Amber Heard, accused him of domestic violence when she filed for divorce in 2016. In the interview, Depp labelled his 'downfall' in Hollywood an "absurdity of media mathematics."

Talking about the Andrew Levitas-directed movie Minamata, he said, “Some films touch people and this affects those in Minamata and people who experience similar things.” The film features him as an American photojournalist, W Eugene Smith, who helped expose the devastating impact of mercury poisoning on coastal communities in Japan in the 1970s.

"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?"

Johnny Depp, Actor

For context, Depp had sued The Sun, and executive editor Dan Wootton for libel after a 2018 article in the publication called him a "wife beater" while referring to Depp and Heard.

Last year, the court ruled that the publication proved the content of its article to be 'substantially true,' and the judge found that 12 of the 14 alleged incidents of domestic violence had occurred. This interview with Sunday Times marked the Pirates of the Caribbean star's first interaction after losing his libel case.

Johnny Depp also exited the Warner Bros' Fantastic Beasts franchise wherein he played the wizard Grindelwald, while MGM reportedly halted the US release of Minamata.

"(We) looked those people in the eyeballs and promised we would not be exploitative. That the film would be respectful. I believe that we've kept our end of the bargain, but those who came in later should also maintain theirs. (We are) moving towards where I need to go to make all that... to bring things to light."

Johnny Depp to Sunday Times concerning the delay in Minamata’s release

The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Czech Republic also said it would celebrate Depp and "recognize and pay tribute to the acclaimed actor's extensive career and lasting legacy on the film industry globally."