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lice Cooper, Johnny Depp‘s bandmate, claims that his time with the Hollywood Vampires wasn’t primarily focused on his defamation case.
In an interview with Valcher, Cooper revealed that he was never embroiled in a legal dispute when the band was on tour “because nobody cared” and talked about the widely publicized 2022 lawsuit against his bandmate that featured his ex-wife Amber Heard.
“I never saw a moment of the trial,” Cooper admitted. It had been greatly exaggerated. Hollywood invented this. How many people actually have other ex-girlfriends advocating for them? That’s how I knew Johnny was going to win. It doesn’t take place. I quickly stopped it and said, “Okay, you know, Johnny is going to handle this storm and serve as our guitarist while we’re on stage. (Supermodel Kate Moss, Depp’s ex-girlfriend, offered testimony on his behalf, dispelling claims that he had forced her down stairs.)
Given the actor’s alleged history of domestic abuse, Cooper was asked if there was any hesitation in taking him on tour. He answered, “Not at all.” If you talk to Johnny about it, it will seem insignificant. ‘okay, okay, what’s the next song?’ he asked. I don’t understand why the trial would be broadcast on television. It’s because the two of them are famous.
Cooper remarked, “The best thing I said about the whole thing was, ‘They should do a remake of War of the Roses with Johnny Deep and Amber.'” Who would refuse to watch that? I’ll look into that! Just find a really excellent filmmaker and get their lawyers, Angie [Jolie] and Brad [Pitt], and it’ll be a massive hit.
In 2012, Cooper, Johnny Depp, and guitarist Joe Perry of Aerosmith formed Hollywood Vampires. Nearly a year after Johnny Depp’s case against Heard was resolved in Virginia in June 2022, the band wrapped up a tour of North America and Europe last month. When Heard penned an opinion piece for The Washington Post in 2018 on her experiences as a survivor of domestic abuse, the jury found that she had defamed Depp.This month’s “Depp v. A Netflix documentary with a trial-focused theme was published. Heard.”
“Johnny Depp’s Epic 60th Birthday Bash: Rocking Out with Fans and Emotional Tributes!”
Recently, actor and musician Johnny Depp returned to the spotlight, joining his band Hollywood Vampires on stage as they marked his 60th birthday with a midnight celebration. To commemorate the occasion, bandmate Alice Cooper rallied a crowd of 40,000 enthusiastic fans in Romania to sing “Happy Birthday” to Depp.
In a video shared on the band’s Instagram, Johnny Depp addressed his fans, saying, ‘Wow. This is the biggest birthday congratulatory song I’ve ever heard. Thank you, beautiful.’ The emotional moment occurred during a Thursday night music event that kicked off the European leg of the Hollywood Vampires’ tour in the Romexpo area of Bucharest. Depp also paid tribute to his friend, renowned guitarist Jeff Beck, who passed away earlier this year after battling bacterial meningitis at the age of 78. In a fan-shared video on Twitter, Depp initiated the performance of David Bowie’s ‘Heroes’ with a mention of Beck. He remarked, ‘I should dedicate this song to one of our heroes, Mr. Jeff Beck.’
Last year, the two collaborated on an album and performed together during Beck’s UK tour.
Since announcing his fractured ankle on May 29, this concert marked Johnny Depp’s first show, causing the band to reschedule their three shows in New Hampshire, Boston, and New York before heading overseas for their European leg. The Hollywood Vampires tour extends until the end of July, as they return to the US for makeup shows after their European dates.
Reuniting with Hollywood Vampires comes as a part of Depp’s return, following a divisive defamation case against his ex-wife Amber Heard. Last month, the actor made his first public appearance since the 2023 Cannes Film Festival screening, where his historical drama ‘The Minamata Photographs’ was shown. In the defamation case, a jury sided with Depp, determining that Heard had defamed him with her 2018 Washington Post op-ed. Heard won a counterclaim, stating that Johnny Depp had “victimized” her by labelling her abuse allegations as a “hoax” through his attorney in the press, implying that his friends had set him up.”
“Cannes 2023: Johnny Depp’s Remarkable Film Debut and Candid Insights”
Less than a year after winning a dramatic defamation case against his former wife Amber Heard, Johnny Depp is making his debut in the film world with the French historical drama ‘Jean Du Barry’. At the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, Johnny Depp once again made headlines and responded to recent controversies from his personal life with some tense words.
On Wednesday, Depp participated in a press conference for his new film ‘Jean Du Barry’, which kicked off the night before with a premiere and discussions about the movie and media circus that followed his victory in the defamation case against ‘The Sun’, which had been pursuing him amidst strained relations with Hollywood after winning the case. This came after a six-week-long dramatic trial last year against his ex-wife Amber Heard.
Arriving about 15 minutes late, Depp told reporters at the conference, “The truth is the truth.” “As far as the film’s positivity or negativity goes, all sorts of intangible whispers, it means people are going to talk about the film in a certain way, or they’re going to talk about your work in a specific way.” Certainly. The fact of the matter is we’re all here because we’ve made a film, not because we have a product to sell.”
“Most of you who have been reading about me and my life for the past five or six years… it’s a fictional, horribly written, imaginative thing,” he continued.
The fact is, as I’ve said, we’re here to talk about a film… It’s like asking a question, ‘How are you?’ But what’s underneath in subtext is, ‘God, I hate you.’ Do you know what I mean? So it’s media talk.”
Depp stated that he doesn’t feel like ‘Jean Du Barry’ is his “comeback” in the industry. He said, “I’ve been thinking about the word ‘comeback’ because I haven’t gone anywhere. In fact, I live about 45 minutes away.” “So yeah, it’s possible that people have stopped talking about their fears at that time. But no, I didn’t go anywhere. I’ve been sitting around, so I came back…? It’s almost like I’ve come out and I’m going to do some tap dance or some kind of wonderful performance on a table, and I’m going to do my best dance for you guys, and I hope you accept it. Imagining something like that is a weird mystery.”
In the conference, the renowned French film producer Mavene, who is associated with Depp, had a presence as well. She played a lead role in ‘Jean Du Barry’ and was involved in writing, directing, and producing this French historical drama that tells the story of a working-class woman who uses her quick wit and a compassionate nature to rise in high society. Along the way, she crosses paths with King Louis XV (played by Depp), sparking a case that shocks the court given her social status.
Asked if Depp’s controversies ever disappointed Netflix during production, he said it was “never an issue for the streaming giant”. “I always said I was going to make a movie with Johnny, and Netflix never brought up this issue.”
After the premiere screening of the film received mixed reviews, with The Hollywood Reporter noting that it “offers some initial romance and then mostly jammed mediocrity” and Variety calling Depp “awkwardly out of place” in his role.
Johnny Depp’s New Film ‘Jean Du Barry’
The film’s world premiere at the festival symbolizes his first step in the acting world after winning the defamation case against The Sun, which began with Depp filing a $50 million lawsuit against the newspaper for an op-ed he wrote in The Washington Post in 2018, where he described his experience as an artist and how he survived domestic abuse.Heard countersued him for $100 million in retaliation.
Ultimately, a jury ruled that Heard had deliberately and maliciously defamed Depp, awarding him $10 million in damages. In a counter-suit, Depp was ordered to pay Heard $2 million. In response to the verdict, Heard initially appealed but later agreed to dismiss the case in December, stating she had “lost faith in the American legal system.”
Depp arrived on the red carpet at Cannes on Tuesday, greeted by enthusiastic fans in the crowd, while supporters of Heard criticized the festival for inviting the actor and initiated a campaign on social media with the hashtag #CannesYouNot.
Addressing Depp’s involvement in the festival, Thierry Frémaux, the head of the festival, defended the decision on Monday during a press conference. I don’t know about Johnny Depp’s reputation in America, he remarked. The freedom to think, and the freedom to speak and act within the bounds of the law, is the sole norm I live by, to be completely honest.
Since the defamation case, Depp has appeared in Rihanna’s Fenty Savage fashion show, entered a deal with the French luxury house Dior for more than $20 million, and recently cast his ex Donnie Brasco co-star Al Pacino in his upcoming film ‘Modi’.”