Johnny Depp slams 'horrifically written fiction' of his controversies at Cannes, has no 'need for Hollywood'

Johnny Depp stepped back into the spotlight at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, and he had some tense words in response to recent controversies surrounding his personal life.

The actor attended a press conference Wednesday for his new film Jeanne du Barry, which opened the festival the night before, and spoke about it and the media "circus" that followed him to Cannes amid a frayed relationship to Hollywood after he won his defamation suit against ex-wife Amber Heard last year following a dramatic six-week trial.

"The truth is the truth," Depp told reporters at the conference, after arriving roughly 15 minutes late. "As far as it being a positive or a negative to the film, all the sort of abstract whispers, all that does is maybe people talk about the film in this way, or they will talk about your work in a certain way up to a certain point. The fact is that we're all here because we made a film, not because we have a product to sell."

He continued, "Everything that the majority of you who've been reading for the last five or six years… with regard to me and my life… is fantastically, horrifically written fiction. The fact is, as I was saying, we're here to talk about a film… It's like asking a question, 'How are you doing?' But what's underneath in the subtext is, 'God, I hate you.' Do you know what I mean? So that's the sort of media thing."

Depp added that he doesn't think Jeanne du Barry marks his "comeback" to the industry.

"I keep wondering about the word 'comeback' because I didn't go anywhere. As a matter of fact, I live about 45 minutes away," he said. "So yeah, maybe people stopped calling out whatever their fear was at the time. But no, I didn't go nowhere. I've been sitting around, so comeback…? It's almost like I'm going to come out and do a tap dance or some kind of spectacular feat on the table and dance my best for you guys, and hope that you will approve. The notion of something like that is a bizarre mystery."

The actor was accompanied at the conference by celebrated French filmmaker Maïwenn, who plays the titular role in Jeanne du Barry and also wrote, directed, and produced the French-language historical drama, which follows a working-class woman who uses her quick wit and coquettish nature to rise up within the ranks of high society. Along the way, she encounters King Louis XV (Depp), and the pair begin an affair that shocks the court given her social status.

When asked whether Depp's controversies ever dissuaded Netflix during production, she said "it was never an issue" for the streaming giant. "I always said that I would make the film with Johnny, and Netflix never raised the issue."

Critical reaction to the film after its opening-night screening was lackluster, with The Hollywood Reporter writing it offered "a few early thrills and then mostly yawns," and Variety calling Depp "strangely uncomfortable in the role."

The film's world premiere at the festival marks the Pirates of the Caribbean star's first step back into the acting world after winning his defamation suit, in which Depp sued Heard for $50 million over a 2018 Washington Post op-ed she penned about her experience as a public figure who had survived domestic abuse. In response, Heard filed a $100 million countersuit against the actor.

Ultimately, a jury ruled that Heard intentionally and maliciously defamed Depp in the piece and awarded him $10 million in compensatory damages. For her countersuit, Depp was ordered to pay Heard $2 million. In response to the verdict, Heard initially filed an appeal but later agreed to withdraw the petition in December, saying she'd "lost faith in the American legal system."

Depp hit the Cannes red carpet on Tuesday to wild cheers from fans in the crowd, while Heard's supporters slammed the festival for welcoming the actor and launched a social media campaign using the hashtag #CannesYouNot.

Festival chief Thierry Fremaux addressed the backlash at a press conference Monday, defending Depp's involvement. "I don't know about the image of Johnny Depp in the U.S.," he said. "To tell you the truth, in my life, I only have one rule: It's the freedom of thinking, and the freedom of speech and acting within a legal framework."

In the year since the defamation trial, Depp has appeared in Rihanna's Fenty X Savage fashion show, signed a $20 million-plus deal with French luxury house Dior, and recently cast his Donnie Brasco costar Al Pacino in his upcoming film Modi.

Jeanne du Barry's U.S. release plan has not yet been announced.

With additional reporting by Carita Rizzo.

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