Johnny Depp, one of Hollywood’s most well-known actors, claims that the film industry is boycotting him because his latest picture, Minamata, has yet to be released in the United States.
The actor discussed his recent legal issue, personal difficulties, and acting profession in a recent interview with The Sunday Times. Depp, whose ex-wife Amber Heard has accused him of physical abuse, has termed his fall from favour a “media mathematical nonsense.”
“Some films touch people, and this affects those in ‘Minamata,’ as well as people who have similar experiences,” Depp said of the Andrew Levitas-directed film, in which he plays W Eugene Smith, an American photojournalist who helped expose the devastating effects of mercury poisoning on coastal communities in Japan in the 1970s.
“And for anything…. for Hollywood’s boycott of me? One man, one actor in an unpleasant and messy situation, over the last number of years?” he added.
The interview is the actor’s first public appearance since losing a libel battle against British tabloid The Sun, which called him a “wife-beater” in an article about him and ex-wife Amber Heard.
The court determined last year that the newspaper had proven the content of its story to be “essentially accurate,” and that 12 of the 14 claimed domestic violence events had happened.
Following the court’s decision, Depp, 58, left his main role in the Fantastic Beasts trilogy at Warner Bros., and MGM allegedly suspended the distribution of Minamata in the United States.
“(We) looked those people in the eyeballs and promised we would not be exploitative. That the film would be respectful. I believe that we’ve kept our end of the bargain, but those who came in later should also maintain theirs,” Depp said about the delay in the film’s release.
He added that he is “moving towards where I need to go to make all that… to bring things to light.”
The actor, on the other hand, is gaining backing from the worldwide cinema business, with the San Sebastian Film Festival upholding its decision to award Depp with the Donostia Award, a lifetime achievement award that recognises “exceptional contributions to the film world.”
The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Czech Republic has also announced that it would honour Depp and “recognise and pay homage to the celebrated actor’s long career and lasting influence on the film industry worldwide.”