Once one of Hollywood’s most beloved leading men, Johnny Depp is now making headlines again — not for a movie, but for calling himself a “crash test dummy” for the #MeToo movement.
In a new interview, Depp reflected on the years-long legal saga involving his ex-wife Amber Heard and the fallout that followed. With the scars of public opinion still fresh, he claims the world turned him into a symbol — not of guilt or innocence — but of a cultural war.
“Look, it had gone far enough,” Depp said. “I knew I’d have to semi-eviscerate myself… 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.”
A Quick Recap of the Chaos
- 2016: Heard accused Depp of domestic violence as she filed for divorce.
- 2018: Depp sued The Sun after they labeled him a “wife beater.” He lost — with the UK court ruling the claims were “substantially true.”
- 2022: Depp sued Heard in Virginia over a Washington Post op-ed where she described herself as “a public figure representing domestic abuse.”
➤ The jury ruled both defamed each other — though Depp came out with a symbolic and legal win in the public eye.
Depp says the experience was dehumanizing, accusing the media and culture of reducing him to a villain without due process. “What will go away? The fiction pawned around the f***ing globe?” he asked. “No, it won’t.”
A Trial Larger Than the Courtroom
Depp’s trials weren’t just legal — they were deeply personal, televised, and dissected by millions online. Memes, fan theories, livestream reactions — it was less courtroom and more content.
His supporters claim he was wrongly demonized. His critics argue he’s rewriting history. Either way, one thing’s clear: Depp sees himself not just as a survivor of false narratives, but as the scapegoat of a movement meant to amplify truth.
And now, he’s speaking louder than ever.
