How is Johnny Depp trying to “cancel” cancel culture after abuse lawsuit?

At this year’s San Sebastian Film Festival, Johnny Depp addressed his clear distaste for cancel culture and the publicity on his abuse lawsuit. As the winner of the festival’s honorary Donostia Award, Depp and his career were the center of the press conference.

The fifty-eight-year-old actor used his platform to release his own statement on the issue of cancel culture and its detriment to both his personal life & career. Depp called the burgeoning movement a form of “injustice” in which “no one is safe”.

Johnny Depp calls out cancel culture

“It can be seen as an event in history that lasted for however long it lasted, this cancel culture, this instant rush to judgment based on what essentially amounts to polluted air,” he illustrated before accepting the Donostia Award in Spain.

“It’s so far out of hand now that I can promise you that no one is safe. Not one of you. No one out that door. No one is safe,” he continued. “It takes one sentence and there’s no more ground, the carpet has been pulled. It’s not just me that this has happened to, it’s happened to a lot of people. This type of thing has happened to women, men. Sadly at a certain point, they begin to think that it’s normal. Or that it’s them. When it’s not.”

Response from San Sebastian audience

However, the crowd wasn’t entirely made of Depp supporters that night. One question from the press spoke of the criticism towards the festival for giving the actor a Donostia. The reporter also mentioned how Spain’s Association of Female Filmmakers & Audiovisual Media, which released a statement declaring the award “transmits a terrible message to the public”.

While the host of the conference intercepted the question before Depp could answer, the actor later admitted that he was “worried” that his appearance at the festival “would offend people” and that he “didn’t want to offend anyone”. 

He then applauded the festival, its director Jose Luis Rebordinos, and the mayor of San Sebastian for their “undying support” and for “not buying what has been, for far too long, some notion of me that doesn’t exist.” Depp added, “I haven’t done anything, I just make movies.”

Johnny Depp on Hollywood chaos

After, Johnny Depp responded to a question about his opinion on the film business in 2021. “Hollywood is certainly not what it was,” he replied. “The studio system, the grudge matches, the pandemonium and chaos of cinematic releases to streaming. . . it is a case of, ‘no matter what, I’m going to get mine’. That’s where these people are coming from.”

“They realize they’re just as disposable as I am. Some more so,” he continued. “Large, large corporations take control of these things. As someone who takes part in the creation of cinema, how much more formula do we need from the likes of studios? How much more condescension do we need as audiences? I think that Hollywood has grotesquely underestimated the audience.”

Johnny Depp’s ongoing abuse lawsuit

At the event, Johnny Depp’s statements on cancel culture clearly referenced the effects of his much-discussed libel case with The Sun over its labeling of him as a “wife-beater” after his ex-wife accused him of domestic abuse. 

Johnny Depp said, “It doesn’t matter if a judgment, per se, has taken some artistic license. When there’s an injustice, whether it’s against you or someone you love, or someone you believe in – stand up, don’t sit down. ‘Cause they need you.”

The result from the verdict included Warner Bros cutting Johnny Depp from its Fantastic Beasts franchise. Additionally, the actor currently has an astonishing $50 million defamation lawsuit against ex-wife Amber Heard which is planned to go to trial in the U.S. next year. Amber Heard is seeking a $100 million counterclaim. 

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Which side are you on in the abuse lawsuit between Johnny Depp & Amber Heard? Do you agree with his comments on cancel culture? Let us know what you think in the comments below.