Johnny Depp has officially made his return to the Cannes Film Festival after 12 years. In new photos, the 59-year-old actor was seen hitting the red carpet at the event for the first time since 2011 to promote his new film Jeanne Du Barry, in which he costars as King Louis XV. The Pirates of the Caribbean actor wore a formal black suit, sans tie, and held hands with cast members as he posed on the carpet at the opening ceremony on May 16. Smiling slightly, he pulled his hair into a ponytail and accessorized with several earrings.
Johnny’s “comeback” to the red carpet comes almost exactly a year after his infamous defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard, which dominated headlines for months beginning in April of 2022. Johnny ultimately obtained a judgment of 15 million against her for her abuse allegations against him during their short marriage, while Amber was awarded $2 million in her countersuit.
The actor reportedly received a standing ovation at a screening of the opening night film Jeanne du Barry, in which he stars. He also answered questions from reporters about his new movie following the trial and making a return to the entertainment business. “Did I feel a boycott by Hollywood? Well, you’d have to not have a pulse to feel at that point, ‘None of this is happening, it’s just a weird joke or I have been asleep for 35 years.’ Of course, when you’re asked to resign from a film you’re doing, because of something that is merely a bunch of kind of vowels and consonants floating in the air, you feel a boycott,” he told Deadline. “Do I feel a boycott now? No, not at all. I don’t feel boycotted by Hollywood because I don’t think about Hollywood. I don’t have much further need for Hollywood myself.”
The red carpet appearance also comes two and a half years after a resounding loss in the UK courts, where Johnny attempted to hold The UK Sun libel for labeling him a “wife beater” in print. “Taking all the evidence together, I accept that she was the victim of sustained and multiple assaults by Mr Depp in Australia,” said Judge Mr Justice Nicol, who presided over the case, in a November 2020 statement, per BBC News. The court defeat resulted in the actor resigning from his role in the Fantastic Beasts franchise. He attempted to overturn the decision in March of 2021, but the appeal was denied.
It’s worth noting that Johnny’s current film, Jeanne Du Barry, is directed by Maiwenn — who was recently accused of physically attacking a prominent journalist in France. The journalist in question, Edwy Plenel, sued the Fifth Element actress for allegedly approaching his table at a restaurant in February, grabbing his hair, and spitting in his face before making a swift exit, per Variety.
In Jeanne Du Barry, Maiwenn also co-stars with Johnny as the legendary king’s favorite mistress.
While speaking to reporters at Cannes, Johnny also disputed using the term “comeback” to describe his return. “I didn’t go anywhere,” he told a reporter. “Maybe people stopped calling. I don’t know what their fear was at the time. I didn’t go nowhere. I’ve been sitting around. So ‘comeback’ is almost like I’m going to come out and do a tap dance or something like that.”