Johnny Depp Talks Being Boycotted By Hollywood After Amber Heard Divorce

Johnny Depp is finally opening up again about what it’s been like to be labelled a “wife beater” with his first interview since he lost his libel case with U.K.’s The Sun last year.

Johnny Depp Discusses His Latest Movie “Minamata”, comparing it to His Personal Life

The Pirates of the Caribbean actor recently appeared in his first interview since losing his highly publicized “wife beater” libel case with U.K’s media outlet The Sun.

In the interview with U.K.’s The Sunday Times, the 58-year-old multi-award winning actor claimed that people in Hollywood are boycotting him as he discussed his latest film “Minamata”. The movie officially premiered in the U.K. in August this year, but the U.S. release date hasn’t been made public.

“Some films touch people and this affects those in “Minamata” and people who experience similar things. And for anything … for Hollywood’s boycott of me?” he told the outlet. “One man, one actor in an unpleasant and messy situation, over the last number of years?”

“But, you know, I’m moving towards where I need to go to make all that . . . to bring things to light,” Depp added.

In the movie, Depp stepped into the lead character of W. Eugene Smith, a photojournalist who visited the town of Minamata in Japan in the 70’s in order to document the effects of mercury poison on the citizens of the place.

Smith’s hard time struggling to find proof of mercury poisoning might be compared to Depp’s last few years, and when asked whether the role resonated with him due to his recent personal life experiences, he replied, “I didn’t approach playing Smith in that way . . . Although you bring your toolbox to work and use what is available. Having experienced . . . A surreal five years.”

Depp could possibly be referencing his legal troubles since his 2017 split from ex-wife Amber Heard, who accused him of domestic violence. Depp has constantly and adamantly resisted these charges.

In November, Depp lost his libel lawsuit against the U.K.’s The Sun Newspaper for labeling him a “wife beater” in a 2018 article. In a written statement, Mr. Justice Nichol, the presiding judge, declared that The Sun’s article was “substantially true.”

Johnny Depp’s News – Lawsuit against Amber Heard

In March, Depp argued that the original trial should be overturned, claiming that Heard’s pledge to donate her $7 million divorce settlement to a charitable cause was a “manipulative and calculated lie” that “subliminally” influenced the judge on the case. The original ruling was, however, upheld by the court.

Depp later left the role of dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald in the Harry Potter spin-off series “Fantastic Beasts”, after he lost the libel suit against The Sun.

Depp has also disputed the truthfulness in Heard’s pledge to donate to two charities of her choice: The ACLU and the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. The actor doubted she would make the donations as promised and it is a part of his $50 million defamation lawsuit against Heard in the U.S. for her 2018 Washington Post op-ed in which she wrote about surviving domestic violence.

Per the court papers filed by Depp and his lawyers in New York and obtained by PEOPLE this past May, the actor and his legal team have asked the ACLU and the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles to share how much Amber Heard, 35, has donated.

Earlier this month, a New York Judge gave the actor permission to determine whether Heard had donated to the ACLU. The organization has been asked to release the documents to confirm this.

In a July 22 hearing transcript obtained by PEOPLE through Heard’s attorney Elaine Bredehoft, Bredehoft acknowledged that her client was still in the process of planning how to donate one half of her total settlement to the ACLU and the other half to CHLA — and while “it is undetermined what those payment schedules will be,” Heard has already made “the first payment toward the pledges” and then some — specifically, “more than a million” each to the ACLU and CHLA.

“We produced the documents from the ACLU on how much she has. She has always said she fully intends to continue to give the full $7 million, but she can’t do it yet. She will do it when she can. But she has given a significant amount to both,” Bredehoft said of Heard’s motive.

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