Johnny Depp has warned that nobody is safe from the 'instant rush to judgment' of cancel culture, as he accepted a lifetime achievement award at the San Sebastián film festival in Spain. The Hollywood star, who lost a libel case against a British newspaper that labelled him a 'wife-beater', made the comments during a press conference on Wednesday.
Depp appeared to reference the #MeToo movement, suggesting that things had 'got out of hand'. He said: 'The various movements that came out, I'm sure with the best of intentions – however it's so far out of hand now that I can promise you that no one is safe.' He also criticised 'this cancel culture or this instant rush to judgment based on essentially what amounts to polluted air that's exhaled.'
In 2020, Depp sued the publisher of The Sun over claims he was violent to his ex-wife Amber Heard. The judge dismissed his libel claim, ruling that the column calling him a 'wife beater' was 'substantially true'. The judge found that Depp assaulted Heard on a dozen occasions and put her in 'fear for her life' three times. Depp has continued to deny the allegations.
Following the trial, Depp said he was asked to step down from his role in the 'Fantastic Beasts' film franchise. Women's rights groups and some women in the film industry have criticised the festival's decision to give Depp its Donostia award, the highest honour at the event. Depp told journalists: 'No one safe, but I believe that if you are armed with the truth then that's what you need.'
