Johnny Depp's career struggles post-trial: A tarnished legacy

Although Johnny Depp won the trial against Amber Heard, his reputation was severely tarnished. The world learned stories about his addictions and the abusive treatment of his wife. What is happening with him today?

The trial of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard was a public spectacle lasting weeks, which was sometimes shocking. The world saw photos of drunken brawls, a bloodied Depp who hurt himself during them, or pictures of the actor covered in vomit. There were recordings and statements from doctors, former collaborators, and his ex-wife, who talked, among other things, about having dog excrement placed in their bed. After losing the trial, Amber secluded herself in Spain while Depp continued his acting career. In 2023, the movie "Jeanne du Barry" premiered in cinemas, which was a flop, as we wrote, even in Russia.

"Jeanne du Barry" was supposed to be the significant return of the actor to the big screen. The film had its world premiere at the Cannes Festival. It did not achieve great success there. It received mixed reviews, and Depp's role was rated rather poorly. One critic ironically wrote that the Hollywood star appears in it like "an unemployed actor wandering around the film set." Interest in the production was not spiked even by the scandal with its director, who was accused of spitting on a journalist.

Despite this, Depp was recognized at the London National Film Awards gala. He was awarded for his exceptional contribution to the world of film. During the gala, which took place on July 4, they played a recording of Depp's speech. He thanked everyone primarily for still being able to do what he loved.

"Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to speak to you today. The work that I do is inspired by all of you who have been along on this long road and comprehended (...) It’s always especially humbling when recognition for your endeavours comes directly from the hearts of the people, the hearts and minds who’ve joined me on this long mystical, magical, sometimes tragic – yet never boring journey," said the actor. "I can’t thank you all enough for continuing to allow me to tell the stories that I feel are necessary to be told. And for having stuck with me and my curious collection of characters over these many years," he added.

Can Depp get back on track? That may not be easy. The cinematic failure of "Jeanne du Barry" is one thing. It's said that Depp did not find favour among producers and distributors when he presented his idea for a new film. His last box office success was "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales" in 2017. Previously, "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald" hit theatres, but there's no talk of success here. Recently, there have been rumours about possibly making a sixth installment of "Pirates of the Caribbean."

According to ScreenRant, the chance of "Pirates of the Caribbean 6" with Depp is slim due to animosity between him and Disney but also because the star is already 60 years old and simply too old for the role of Sparrow. He could appear symbolically to pass the torch to his younger successor in a series reboot.