Johnny Depp forgiven or forgotten? The jury is out in his career after the trial.
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - From Severed Finger to Defecation The Johnny Depp libel case in London revealed the kind of dirty laundry Hollywood usually likes to hide.
But whoever wins or loses, Depp and ex-wife Amber Heard may find it easier than expected to continue their acting careers after the garish headlines of the three-week trial.
"We're used to celebrities doing crazy things off the beaten track. I think as a society we're a little immune to it right now," said Danielle Rossen, president of crisis public relations firm Rossen Media.
Depp, best known for playing the boastful Jack Sparrow in the movies, "Pirates of the Caribbean," is suing News Group Newspapers, publisher of UK newspaper Sun, over a 2018 article calling him a "thug" was designated.
Heard, 34, the star of "Aquaman," says Depp attacked her at least 14 times, fueled by over-drinking or drug use. Depp denies beating Heard and says he was the victim of their attacks. Matthew Hiltzik, manager of the
-Crisis, said Hollywood and the general public are more concerned as the world struggles to get back to business after an extended coronavirus shutdown.
"It's really very sad for everyone involved. Hopefully, given the real human suffering associated with the pandemic, people will contextualize this right now," said Hiltzik, Managing Director of Hiltzik Strategies.
Others are less convinced and point to a dynamic when it comes to believing women who raise abuse allegations in the wake of the #MeToo movement.
"Can Johnny Depp ever star in another family-friendly movie again? I doubt it," said Jeetendr Sehdev, celebrity branding expert.
"The drug and alcohol abuse allegations are just as harmful to him as the domestic abuse allegations. It's a losing situation," Sehdev said.
Yet Depp, 57, who has often played unusual or outsider characters in films, has an army of fans who use social media hashtags like #JusticeForJohnnyDepp and #WeAreWithYouJohnnyDepp. Many of the allegations against him were raised in the couple's 2016 divorce case.
"Depp has a following who likes his acting that he portrays in movies, and off-screen they really don't mind this family fight," Rossen said.
"There are also embarrassing things that have come out of Amber Heard. For her, the process doesn't help and it doesn't hurt," said Rossen.
Depp's next big movie is the third in the Fantastic Beasts franchise, which is in preproduction. "Aquaman 2," due to Star Heard, was in development before the coronavirus, which closed Hollywood in mid-March. Warner Bros, the studio behind both films, didn't respond to a request for comment on Depp or Heard's future with the projects.
Disney began work on a reboot of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise two years ago and didn't respond to questions about whether Depp would have a role in any upcoming films.
Hiltzik believed the details of the allegations were largely forgotten in the post-pandemic world.
"When this is over, hopefully they can get back to doing what they are very good at, get on with their careers, and get back to telling other people's stories instead of their own," he said.
