Johnny Depp says he was ‘crash test dummy for #MeToo' during Amber Heard trial
Johnny Depp is looking back on his relationship with ex-wife Amber Heard and claiming that he was a 'crash test dummy for #MeToo' in the years-long series of legal battles that followed.
In an interview with The Sunday Times, the 62-year-old actor reflected on the lengthy court case, in which he sued Heard for defamation in 2019 over an op-ed she wrote in the Washington Post, in which she referred to herself as a 'public figure representing domestic abuse.'
In June 2022, a seven-person jury ruled in favour of Depp and awarded the actor US$10 million in damages. Heard was awarded $2 million in a favourable ruling on one of her three countersuit claims.
'Look, it had gone far enough. I knew I'd have to semi-eviscerate myself. Everyone was saying, 'It'll go away!' But I can't trust that,' Depp said. 'What will go away? The fiction pawned around the f—ing globe? No, it won't. If I don't try to represent the truth it will be like I've actually committed the acts I am accused of. And my kids will have to live with it. Their kids. Kids that I've met in hospitals. So the night before the trial in Virginia I didn't feel nervous. If you don't have to memorize lines, if you're just speaking the truth? Roll the dice.'
Story continues below advertisement
The Edward Scissorhands actor added that he knew 'none of this was going to be easy,' but 'thought, 'I'll fight until the bitter f—ing end.' And if I end up pumping gas? That's all right. I've done that before.'
During the legal battle, Depp faced some career backlash when Warner Bros asked him to exit the Fantastic Beasts franchise and he announced that he wouldn't return to the Pirates of the Caribbean movies after Disney reportedly parted ways with the actor.
Get daily National news
Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy
He said that it 'hurt' to see 'these fake motherf—ers who lie to you, celebrate you, say all sorts of horror behind your back, yet keep the money — that confetti machine going — because what do they want? Dough.'
'As weird as I am, certain things can be trusted,' the Secret Window actor added. 'And my loyalty is the last thing anybody could question. I was with one agent for 30 years, but she spoke in court about how difficult I was. That's death by confetti.
Story continues below advertisement
'There are people, and I'm thinking of three, who did me dirty. Those people were at my kids' parties. Throwing them in the air. And, look, I understand people who could not stand up [for me], because the most frightening thing to them was making the right choice. I was pre-#MeToo. I was like a crash test dummy for #MeToo. It was before Harvey Weinstein.
'And I sponged it, took it all in. And so I wanted from the hundreds of people I've met in that industry to see who was playing it safe. Better go woke!
'I have no regrets about anything — because, truly, what can we do about last week's dinner? Not a f—ing thing.'
Story continues below advertisement
Depp went on to suggest that his troubled relationship with Heard was due to his childhood and how it has affected his relationship with love today.
'Well, that is the thing. 'That I had been in love with.' That's where we could start, to look at the roots of 'in love with.' Because with regards to how I was raised, I wouldn't say it was a house without love, but it was an intense love and I would not say that myself, or my siblings, or my pop and mom, experienced any great love or bliss,' he said.
'It was almost as if I was used to conflict,' he said about his childhood. 'It was not abnormal. I did my best to just step in and out.'
'So, what were my initial dealings with what we call 'love?'' he said. 'Clearly obtuse. And what that means is, if you're a sucker like I am, sometimes you look in a person's eye and see some sadness, some lonely thing and you feel you can help that person.'
Depp went on to say that 'no good deed goes unpunished' because 'there are those who, when you try to love and help them, will start to give you an understanding of what that malaise, that perturbance was in their eyes.'
'It manifests itself in other ways. And the interesting thing is that it is merely a sliver of my life I have chosen to explore, because it is my mother and my father,' Depp added.
Story continues below advertisement
The Black Mass actor said that his mother, Betty Sue Depp, 'liked to escape from reality from time to time and learned how to live in a miserable state.'
'So, I'm not surprised. I allowed myself to experience something—in some little psychological sphere—to help understand what it was like between my parents,' he said. 'I had to understand how my father dealt with it. So, it would be dumb for me to carry any bitterness.
'Eternal hatred? You want to put curses on someone? No. I know who I am, what that was and, look, it was a learning experience.'
Depp also spoke about his 'comeback' in Hollywood following the legal battles.
'Honestly? I didn't go anywhere,' he said, referring to the movies he's done recently, including Jeanne du Barry. 'If I actually had the chance to split, I would never come back.'
Story continues below advertisement
Heard filed for divorce from Depp, citing irreconcilable differences, in 2016 after the pair had been married for about 15 months. Depp and Heard met while filming The Rum Diary in 2011.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Toronto Sun
an hour ago
- Toronto Sun
Kerry Condon is off to the races in 'F1' opposite Brad Pitt
Published Jun 30, 2025 • 10 minute read Kerry Condon Photo by Maegan Gindi / Washington Post NEW YORK – Kerry Condon was in the thick of Oscars season two years ago, bantering and glad-handing from London to Los Angeles, when she took a breather to campaign for a different kind of prize. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Nominated for her first Academy Award for the pitch-black tragicomedy 'The Banshees of Inisherin,' Condon had crossed paths with 'Top Gun: Maverick' director Joseph Kosinski at many an industry event and gleaned that his follow-up feature would be set in the world of Formula 1. When the Irish actress realized he still needed a female lead, the high-octane project piqued her curiosity. Realizing this character would go toe-to-toe with Brad Pitt, she became all the more intrigued. Thus Condon did something she had never done in her two decades in Hollywood: 'I literally just sold myself like crazy.' Sitting down with Kosinski, Condon pragmatically pointed out that her pair of passports would make traveling and working abroad less of a headache for the globe-trotting production. She also noted that the film wouldn't need to pay for her housing during its England shoot because she had a London apartment. Having worked with frequent Pitt collaborator David Fincher on the scrapped series 'Videosynchrazy,' Condon mentioned that the director could vouch for her professionalism. And she posited that playing a jockey in the HBO series 'Luck' taught her how to get up to speed on an unfamiliar sport. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'I knew it was a big shot in the dark,' Condon says. 'I'd never seen an Irish woman as a female lead in a big, massive Hollywood movie. 'Banshees' was quite arty, so there could have been a sense of, 'Well, you're not bankable.' There's millions of reasons, so I didn't presume I'd gotten it.' Kosinski ultimately bought Condon's pitch. A couple of days after the Oscars, he called to offer her the role. As Condon subsequently strolled the streets of Los Angeles, a stranger clocked her expression and offered an observation: 'You must have gotten good news.' 'I must've still been beaming,'' Condon recalls. 'It was the best week of my life. I mean, I'd been at the Oscars and been nominated, and then I got this dream job that really put me off where I wanted to be – which was a leading lady.' Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. To those who have been paying attention, the big-screen breakthrough that began with 'Banshees' is overdue. An icy stare, a warm nod, a spit-fire spiel – Condon has long excelled at delivering whatever a script requires. In playing Caesar Augustus's naive sister in the HBO epic 'Rome,' a hit man's grieving daughter-in-law on 'Better Call Saul' and a secret-harboring teacher in 'Star Wars: Skeleton Crew,' she has developed a reputation as a habitual scene stealer. Even when Condon voices Iron Man's F.R.I.D.A.Y. system in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, her disembodied performance rings with pluck and personality. Condon moves up to the front seat of another summer spectacle with 'F1: The Movie' now playing in theatres. As Kate McKenna, the first female technical director of a Formula 1 team in Kosinski's fictional flick, the 42-year-old plays the numbers-crunching aerodynamicist with an incredulous streak, effortless authority and a sharp tongue. When it comes time for her and Pitt's plucked-from-retirement racer to radiate on-screen, Condon shows she also knows her way around a simmering romance. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'I like that it's a little new for her,' Kosinski says. 'In a big movie, you still want great actors. It's not about the size of the movie – it's about who's the right fit for the role. And she was the perfect person to play Kate McKenna.' – – – As Condon sits down for lunch at the Four Seasons in Midtown Manhattan on a mid-June afternoon, hours before 'F1's' world premiere at Radio City Music Hall, it's easy to understand how she won over Kosinski. While Condon points out she has lived in the United States as long as she lived in Ireland (she left home at age 16), her Irish-accented charm, mischievous humor and wholesome essence endure. Eyeing my recorder on the table, she leans in and raises her eyebrows. 'It's like we're in one of those espionage movies,' she whispers with a smirk. After suggesting that we share a couple of appetizers, Condon relishes the meal on a day packed with so much publicity that she otherwise might be running on an empty stomach. 'I don't mind it,' she says, 'except my tummy starts making loads of noise, and then I get really embarrassed and I'm red in the interview.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Kerry Condon in Midtown Manhattan at the Four Seasons, where she talked about her role in 'F1: The Movie.' Photo by Maegan Gindi / Washington Post Raised by an unfussy family in the unfussy county of Tipperary, Condon caught the acting bug at a young age, eschewed one teacher's suggestion that she go into accounting and in 2001 starred in the Royal Shakespeare Company's productions of 'The Lieutenant of Inishmore' and 'Hamlet.' Then 18, Condon made history as the youngest to perform the part of Ophelia at the RSC. But it was the former play – penned by Martin McDonagh – that set the stage for her career's most fruitful artistic partnership. After Condon reprised her 'Inishmore' role for a 2006 off-Broadway run and returned to New York for the 2009 production of McDonagh's 'The Cripple of Inishmaan,' the playwright and filmmaker cast her in a small part in his acclaimed 2017 movie 'Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.' When McDonagh subsequently wrote 'Banshees,' he imagined the character of Siobhán – the no-nonsense sister of Colin Farrell's sad-sack Pádraic – with Condon in mind. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. A pair of infinitely memable 'Banshees' scenes put the range of Condon's talents on display. In one, as Siobhán gently declines the advances of Barry Keoghan's town simpleton, Condon conveys volumes with a smile and a shake of her head. In the other, as Siobhán lashes out at Brendan Gleeson's character about his petty feud with Pádraic, Condon wields eye rolls and f-bombs with uproarious aplomb. 'I love that the ferocity and danger she had onstage as an 18-year-old is still intact in the movies she now gets to make,' McDonagh says over email. 'The only surprise is that it's taken the world so long to see what we saw onstage 20 years ago.' Asked what he appreciates about Condon, Farrell writes: 'Too much to admire about Kerry to share it all, but I suppose it's a close finish between her fearlessness and honesty. But honesty has to always win out. So that. She's just a truth teller.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In the wake of 'Banshees,' Condon at last exited the audition circuit and skipped straight to fielding offers. But even when she used to vie for a dozen roles without booking one, Condon says she mostly didn't mind the audition grind, crediting the repetitive process with honing her craft. It was only when she regularly got down to the last two or three for a coveted part and fell short that the letdown left her questioning her place in show business. 'That's when it started to get a bit like, 'F— this s—,'' Condon says. 'I kind of didn't know how I could change that. I'm not going to go out and try and make myself famous just to make it easier because it's not really my style to do something like that.' As those dream parts failed to materialize, Condon accepted a few gigs in the name of financing her passions – specifically, her love of horses. After filming 'Luck' a decade ago reignited that youthful infatuation, Condon adopted a pair of horses, including one she rode on the show. 'Some people have children, and they're allowed to have children,' she remembers thinking. 'Well, I'm having horses because that's what I deserve and that's what I want.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. When Condon subsequently bought a farm in Washington state, where she now oversees a slew of rescue horses and other animals, she says her lender changed the down payment from 20 percent to 30 percent at the 11th hour – prompting her to rapidly find a project to replenish her drained savings. But as Condon says, 'There's no shame in working for money.' If 'Banshees' and 'F1' hadn't changed the equation, she would've been perfectly content working when she needed to work and spending the rest of her days tending to her animals. 'Even though I wasn't getting these big, massive roles, I was really content in my life,' Condon says. 'Also, I kind of always knew that I was good [as an actress]. I didn't need a lot of confirmation from other people.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. – – – Kosinski, who shaped 'F1's' story with screenwriter Ehren Kruger, says the character of Kate was inspired by Susie Wolff, the Scottish ex-racer who is now the managing director of the all-female F1 Academy. Undergoing a crash course in Formula 1, Condon read Adrian Newey's 'How to Build a Car' and picked the brain of Bernadette Collins, a Northern Ireland native who became one of the circuit's first strategy engineers. Brad Pitt as Sonny Hayes and Kerry Condon as Kate in 'F1.' Photo by Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures / / Courtesy of Warner Bros. Picture An ability to rattle off Kate's labyrinthine lingo with conviction was one of Condon's top assets. As the production filmed during tight windows in real-life race weekends – attended by hundreds of thousands of fans in Hungary, Belgium, Italy, Japan and more – Condon also took being low maintenance to new heights. 'I couldn't be asking for makeup checks or stuff,' she explains. 'But that's easy for me because I grew up in the country.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. That mindset informed how Condon played the romance between her character and Pitt's Sonny Hayes. Although Condon has seen many a film with a 'sexually confident' female love interest, those characters never rang true to her. 'I don't really know a lot of girls that are like that,' she says. 'I really wanted to play this as someone who's super confident in her job, but when it comes to romance, there's still a quite sweet – jeez, how can I describe it? – kind of a girly aspect to her.' That approach is most evident during a scene toward the end of the film, in which Kate plays peacemaker between her team's at-odds drivers – Pitt's convention-bucking vet and Damson Idris's cocksure rookie – over a game of Texas hold 'em. While Kate lets her hair down at a Las Vegas hot spot and deals flirtatious glances, Condon also rules the table with the same put-the-boys-in-their-place command she summoned in 'Banshees.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'She has the strong personality of a woman who can exist in a man's world,' Kosinski says, 'and have that grit and that toughness and the smarts to embody this character.' When Kate utters, 'Plenty of people think I don't belong here,' it may as well have been Condon addressing her own winding path to mainstream success. But the actress has no plans to forget her modest roots. Case in point: Audiences can next see her in a brief but impactful appearance as a forestry services worker in the meditative drama 'Train Dreams,' which was acquired by Netflix out of this year's Sundance Film Festival and is set for a November release. 'It feels very natural for her to be able to bridge these worlds between doing something very small and very intimate and then going to a big summer blockbuster,' says Clint Bentley, the director and co-writer of 'Train Dreams.' 'People who come into contact with her, whether they be the audience or filmmakers, they just want to be in her presence.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. With all due respect to her admirers, the feeling might not always be mutual. Although Los Angeles gets knocked for its isolating sprawl, Condon finds herself oddly at home there. 'I like being alone,' she says, 'and I think that city allows me to be alone.' For all of the pulse-pounding thrills of shooting 'F1,' one of her most cherished memories from the production is the night she returned to her Abu Dhabi hotel and quietly watched a shooting star from her balcony. Asked toward the end of our conversation if there's anything she'd like to add that we didn't touch on, Condon flashes a playful grin. 'God no,' she blurts out. 'Are you joking? If it's not coming up, I'm grand about it.' After all this time, Condon remains sheepish in the spotlight. But following years of stops and starts in an unforgiving industry, she's still prepared to forge ahead at full throttle. 'There's a lot to be said for things coming later in life,' Condon says. 'I think if this had come to me a long time ago, I would have pulled it off, but I wouldn't have enjoyed it as much or slept as good every night. 'Coming now, I felt like, 'Yeah, I can act opposite Brad Pitt. I can totally do this. I can totally handle all this pressure.' It just came at the right moment for me.' Read More Canada Sunshine Girls Toronto Maple Leafs Sunshine Girls Relationships
Global News
a day ago
- Global News
Canada Day is almost here. Who is performing and what to expect
Canadians will be taking to parks, streets and everywhere in between across the country on Canada Day on Tuesday, and thousands are expected to descend on the nation's capital to take in the festivities. The celebrations will come amid a year that has seen Canadians face repeated threats of annexation and a continuing trade war from U.S. President Donald Trump, fuelling a surging 'Buy Canadian' movement and a groundswell of renewed patriotism. So, what will Canada Day celebrations offer from the capital? What's happening on Canada Day? On Parliament Hill, visitors can witness the traditional Changing of the Guard ceremony at 10 a.m. and enjoy the Royal Canadian Air Force pipes and drum show at 2 p.m. or 3:30 p.m. Story continues below advertisement The Snowbirds will also perform an aerial show at 4 p.m. for those wanting to look to the sky for the celebrations. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Canada's capital has also set up a big screen on Parliament Hill for people to watch the celebrations for free, including the national show at noon, featuring tributes, Canadian 'icons and artists' and a ceremony to promote the country's culture. Performances will include Amanda Marshall, Garou, Thompson Egbo-Egbo, Rafaëlle Roy, Alli Walker and Sonia Benezra. A short film screening will take place from 5 to 7 p.m., and the national evening show begins at 8 p.m. 2:13 Montreal Canada Day celebrations will go without a parade again The national evening show will feature musical performances and see 'waves of red and white' move through LeBreton Flats Park, with performances being streamed in from Summerside, P.E.I., Yellowknife and Vancouver. Story continues below advertisement Sarah McLachlan, Blue Rodeo, Tom Cochrane, Amanda Marshall, Cœur de pirate, Dear Rouge, Brenda Montana, Jeff Douglas and Enola Bedard are among the artists set to perform either in Ottawa or from various other locations. Canadian Heritage, the federal department organizing the celebrations, also released a playlist of the various artists performing, including those previously mentioned and others like Roch Voisine, Mitsou, Morgan Grace, Billie du Page and Aasiva. The full list can be found here. Attendees can take in the show from the park, or watch it on big screens on Parliament Hill and the Supreme Court of Canada. Those who want to head right to LeBreton Flats Park will also have plenty to do, ranging from a 'Celebrate Canada Space, Loud and Proud' experience with talents, cultures and innovations 'that make Canada shine.' People interested in some history can also head to the Supreme Court of Canada from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. to see a special exhibit on the history of the court as it marks its 150th anniversary. There will also be activities, including an introductory camping workshop, a makeup station, a Djembe rhythm activity and 'dynamic yoga' at the court at different times during the day. Then, at 10 p.m., fireworks will light up the sky over Ottawa as the Canada Day festivities draw to a close.
Global News
2 days ago
- Global News
‘Kisses yes, Bezos No,' protesters say, as billionaire's wedding bonanza divides Venice
Hundreds of protesters marched through Venice's central streets on Saturday to say 'No' to billionaire Jeff Bezos, his bride and their much-anticipated wedding extravaganza, which reached its third and final day amid celebrity-crowded parties and the outcries of tired residents. On Friday, the world's fourth-richest man and his bride Lauren Sanchez Bezos tied the knot during a private ceremony with around 200 celebrity guests on the secluded island of San Giorgio. The wedding, however, divided Venice, with some activists protesting it as an exploitation of the city by the billionaire Bezos, while ordinary residents suffer from overtourism, high housing costs and the constant threat of climate-induced flooding. As the two newlyweds prepared for the final party on Saturday evening, hundreds of Venetians and protesters from across Italy filled Venice's tiny streets with colorful banners reading 'Kisses Yes, Bezos No' and 'No Bezos, no War.' Story continues below advertisement The demonstration contrasted with the expensive wedding bonanza, seen by critics as an affront to the lagoon city's fragile environment and its citizens, overwhelmed by throngs of tourists. 'We are here to continue ruining the plans of these rich people, who accumulate money by exploiting many other people … while the conditions of this city remain precarious,' said Martina Vergnano, one of the demonstrators. View image in full screen Activists stage a protest on the Rialto Bridge in Venice, Italy, Saturday, June 28, 2025, denouncing the three-day celebrations for the wedding between Jeff Bezos and his wife Lauren Sanchez Bezos. AP Photo/Luca Bruno The protest organizers had welcomed news that Saturday's wedding party, to be initially held on in central Venice, was later moved to a former medieval shipyard, the Arsenale, amid high security. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Bezos donated 1 million euros ($1.17 million) each to three environmental research organizations working to preserve Venice, according to Corila, the Venetian environmental research association. But many protesters saw the move as a clear example of 'greenwashing.' Story continues below advertisement 'We want a free Venice, which is finally dedicated to its citizens. … Those donations are just a misery and only aimed at clearing Bezos' conscience,' said Flavio Cogo, a Venetian activist who joined Saturday's protest. Details of the exclusive wedding ceremony Friday night were a closely guarded secret, until Sánchez Bezos posted to Instagram a photo of herself beaming in a white gown as she stood alongside a tuxedo-clad Bezos. Athletes, celebrities, influencers and business leaders converged to revel in extravagance that was as much a testament to the couple's love as to their extraordinary wealth. 2:47 Inside Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez's star-studded Venice wedding week The star-studded guest list included Oprah Winfrey and NFL great Tom Brady, along with Hollywood stars Leonardo Di Caprio and Orlando Bloom, tech entrepreneur and philanthropist Bill Gates and top socialites, including the Kardashian-Jenner clan. Story continues below advertisement Ivanka Trump, her husband Jared Kushner, and their three children also joined the celebrations. The bride and groom stayed at the Aman Venice hotel on the Grand Canal, where Bezos posed for photos and Sanchez Bezos blew kisses to the press. 'The planet is burning but don't worry, here's the list of the 27 dresses of Lauren Sánchez,' read one protest slogan, a reference to the bride's reported wedding weekend wardrobe. It featured a mermaid-lined wedding gown by Dolce & Gabbana and other Dolce Vita-inspired looks by Italian designers, including Schiaparelli and Bottega Veneta. The city administration has strongly defended the nuptials as in keeping with Venice's tradition as an open city that has welcomed popes, emperors and ordinary visitors alike for centuries.
