Pirates of the Caribbean star Johnny Depp has recently shared his opinions on his public defamation case with ex-wife and Justice League star, Amber Heard. In a revealing interview, Depp compared himself to a crash test dummy for the #MeToo movement that went viral in 2017.
For context, the #MeToo movement was founded by Tarana Burke, a civil rights activist to support young black girls and women who were survivors of sexual violence. Burke launched this initiative on MySpace in 2006 with the primary aim of creating a safe space for abuse victims. Her foundational message read, “You’re not alone. What happened to you happened to me too.” The movement went viral in 2017, following the Harvey Weinstein sexual assault revelations. Hence what began as a safe space for young black women gradually grew to include workplace harassment, perpetuated by men in positions of power within the entertainment and political spheres.
Although the Depp vs. Heard case officially began in 2019, Depp had already been accused of domestic violence by Heard in 2016 right after their divorce. Thus when Depp interviewed with The Times U.K., he claimed he was pre-#MeToo, which he believes affected public perception of his case. “I was like a crash test dummy for #MeToo. It was before Harvey Weinstein. And I sponged it, took it all in,” he stated.
“I’ll Fight Until The Bitter F—ing End”: Depp Says of the Depp vs. Heard Case
Image via Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Depp was determined to fight his case with Heard even without support — something he believed was stifled by the rise of the #MeToo movement. According to him, he knew it was not going to be easy but was prepared to fight till the end.
When Heard accused Depp of domestic violence and demanded a restraining order after their divorce, Depp immediately denied the allegations, claiming she was trying to secure financial settlements. They ended up settling outside court and Heard received $7 million. However, it did not end there. In 2018, Heard wrote in a Washington Post op-ed describing herself as, “a public figure representing domestic abuse.” This op-ed led to Depp filing a defamation lawsuit against her, one that exposed the toxicities on both sides of the relationship.
When The Times U.K. asked why he pursued the public trial in the United States, Depp responded by stating that he needed to represent the truth so that it did not seem like he committed the crimes he was being accused of. “Look, none of this was going to be easy, but I didn’t care. I thought, ‘I’ll fight until the bitter f—ing end,’” he added, “And if I end up pumping gas? That’s all right. I’ve done that before.”
It has not been officially confirmed if Depp will be returning for Pirates of the Caribbean 6. Release dates for the film have also not been announced.
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Pirates of the Caribbean |
|---|---|
| Main Cast | Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Geoffrey Rush, Javier Bardem, Penélope Cruz |
| Release Timeline | 2003–2017 (5 films released) |
| Stream On | Disney+, various VOD platforms |
| Directors | Gore Verbinski (1–3), Rob Marshall (4), Joachim Rønning & Espen Sandberg (5) |
| Produced by | Jerry Bruckheimer |
| Based On | Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean theme park ride |
| Plot Summary | A swashbuckling adventure series that follows Captain Jack Sparrow as he navigates cursed treasures, supernatural threats, and rival pirates |
| Musical Elements | Score by Klaus Badelt (1), Hans Zimmer (2–5), iconic theme “He’s a Pirate” |
| Current Status | 5 films released; reboot in development with new cast and storyline |
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