Johnny Depp breaks his silence on the infamous Amber Heard trial, saying he felt like a “crash test dummy” for the MeToo movement.
In a rare and candid new interview withThe Sunday Times, actor Johnny Depp reflected on his highly publicized defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard — and made it clear he has zero regrets about how it all unfolded.
“Look, it had gone far enough,” Depp said. “I knew I’d have to semi-eviscerate myself… but if I don’t try to represent the truth, it’ll be like I’ve actually committed the acts I am accused of.”
🎭 “I’ll Fight Until the Bitter F—ing End”
The Pirates of the Caribbean star didn’t hold back when discussing the emotional toll of the 2022 Virginia trial. The televised proceedings saw Depp suing Heard over a 2018 Washington Post op-ed in which she identified herself as a survivor of abuse — without naming him.
Depp won the case, with the jury ruling that Heard’s statements were defamatory. She received a partial victory in her counterclaim, but the damage had been done.
“If I end up pumping gas? That’s all right,” Depp said. “I’ve done that before. I have no regrets about anything.”
🧨 A “Crash Test Dummy” for the MeToo Era?
Depp also commented on the wider cultural implications of the trial:
“I was pre-MeToo. I was like a crash test dummy for MeToo… I sponged it, took it all in.”
He expressed frustration with the silence of Hollywood peers during the height of the trial, especially those he considered close:
“Those people were at my kids’ parties. Throwing them in the air… But they couldn’t stand up [for me] because the most frightening thing to them was making the right choice.”
😔 “Death by Confetti”: Depp on Betrayal
The actor reserved some of his harshest words for former agent Tracey Jacobs, ex-girlfriend Ellen Barkin, and therapist Laurel Anderson, all of whom testified against him.
“That’s death by confetti,” he said. “These fake motherf—ers who lie to you, celebrate you… and keep the money machine going.”
📜 Aftermath and Settlement
Following the verdict, Heard filed an appeal but later settled, stating:
“This is not an act of concession. There are no restrictions or gags with respect to my voice moving forward.”
Depp also addressed the earlier 2020 U.K. libel case against The Sun, where he lost after the judge found the publication’s “wife-beater” headline was “substantially true.”
