Johnny Depp and the Problems of Abuse

Johnny Depp. 

If ever there was a profile in nonsensical, Johnny Depp would fit it. Truth be told, it’d be warranted. For as much as Depp rose to fame in the late-80’s and early-90’s under director Tim Burton, his roles in Cry-Baby and What’s Eating Gilbert Grape showed his range as an actor. He was the heartthrob whose charm and charisma won over audiences with his turn as Captain Jack Sparrow, which helped him stay afloat amidst terrible decisions and a declining career in the 21st Century. Couple his marriage to and divorce from actress Amber Heard, as well as the controversy surrounding it in the years since, and this once-promising actor became a has-been. But was it all for naught?

I’ve always been mixed on Johnny Depp. He’s talented, but he’s always struck me as weird. Whether it’s the movies he’s been in, or his fashion choices, he’s always seemed off. I feel bad saying that, as he clearly has demons he’s never fully-addressed. I’ve been there, so I know what it’s like.

It’s equally weird how his career’s swerved back and forth over the last 17 years. With the success of Jack Sparrow in 2003, and his subsequent role in Finding Neverland, he was going places. His Oscar nods were proof of that, even if he didn’t win. Unfortunately, Jack Sparrow’s popularity quickly typecast him, and he’d spend the next decade playing quirky characters. Some of them, like Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Lars in Rango, I quite liked, but many felt like caricatures in a bad way. It was only after his turn as Whitey Bulger in 2015’s Black Mass that his career appeared rehabilitated, this time as a villainous character actor. 

However, that was short-lived. Following his casting as Gellert Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, stories about his failed marriage to Amber Heard began surfacing. Rumours of him being verbally and physically-abusive to her also surfaced, which soured his reputation. It seemed like Depp couldn’t escape from his demons, and it showed in his declining popularity. That is, except with diehard fans.

I largely believed these claims about him. I was coming to terms with my own trauma at the time, and the 2017 Weinstein incident, as well as the surge of Me Too, made matters worse. He was guilty, I figured! No questions asked! Never mind the arguments I got into with fans, fetch the guillotine!

In hindsight, while I’m sure Depp wasn’t a saint, I feel bad for being naïve. As court proceedings and recorded tapes have shown, Amber Heard might have been the abuser after all. Documented evidence of Depp’s finger being crushed and Heard’s threats that “no one would believe him” muddied the initial assumptions people had about him. That I’d had about him. Suddenly, Depp went from villain to victim. Suddenly, his diehards could breathe a sigh of relief. 

And now Depp’s retiring from his Grindelwald role and handing it to Mads Mikkelsen. To be fair, this isn’t a bad trade-off. Mikkelsen’s a terrific character actor, and this is right up his wheelhouse. Plus, it’d earn him recognition with Harry Potter fans, irrespective of what one thinks of JK Rowling. It’d also give Depp some time away from the spotlight, which he needs and would help him.

Still, I can’t help feeling like two issues arise from this. For one, if Depp’s being replaced in the Harry Potter universe, then shouldn’t Amber Heard be replaced in the DC universe? Ignoring that Depp’s had plenty of roles since his allegations, this seems like a glaring oversight. If Me Too is to have weight as a movement, then shouldn’t Heard also suffer consequences?

And two, Depp’s being made into a martyr. And I don’t think he is one. Even if you cast doubt on his behaviour, he has addiction and alcohol problems that’ve made him difficult to work with. Like Ben Affleck, he needs help. He needs to get his life together before resuming acting. 

I also feel bad for being so critical of him. Me Too’s ripple effects are still being felt, and even with the good it’s done there’ll still be occasional false positives. Plus, if this situation’s to be believed, then female abuse against men should be taken seriously. It’s not as common as the reverse, but it exists. And because it exists, it needs its fair dues.

As for Depp himself? I don’t know. I know he lost a defamation case in England, but I’m sure the battle to clear his name is still going. And regardless of any “wrongdoing” he may have committed, he deserves some semblance of closure. It might not be the kind he or his fans want, or possibly deserve, but it should still happen. Especially considering his own demons.

I’d also like to apologize to Johnny Depp for not taking his trauma seriously. Do I still think he’s weird? Yes. But even weird people don’t deserve abuse. They’re still people, and people deserve better!