We're used to plenty of controversy at the MTV VMAs, and this year it came in the form of a surprise Johnny Depp cameo.
After Lizzo opened the awards ceremony, the 59-year-old actor made a blink-and-you'll-miss-it appearance consisting of his face being projected onto an astronaut – a replica of the event's Moonman trophy – suspended from the ceiling.
He said, “I just want you guys to know I’m available for birthdays, bat mitzvahs, weddings, wakes – any old thing you need,” adding, “You know what? I needed the work,” which was met with applause and laughter from the audience.
Earlier in the week, it was reported that Johnny Depp would be making a ‘comeback’ appearance at the awards ceremony, with a “source close to the production” informing The New York Post that he would attend the event via video link. The source noted that Depp was “really excited” to appear at the VMAs, as well as being “ready for his comeback."
It's one of Depp's first public appearances since a jury in Fairfax County, Virginia, found that Amber Heard had defamed him in her Washington Post op-ed, in which she referred to herself as “a public figure representing domestic abuse.”
Although many viewers praised the cameo, some were less-than-impressed with MTV's decision to feature him at all. In 2018, Depp unsuccessfully sued British tabloid The Sun for referring to him as a “wife beater.” The High Court of Justice later ruled that 12 of the 14 incidents of violence claimed by Heard against Depp were "substantially true."
One viewer tweeted, “honestly f[**]k the VMA’s for including Johnny Depp. the entire crowd of Amber’s industry peers are cheering for her abuser. it makes me sick. the industry hasn’t changed at all. not surprised, but still so disappointed.”
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One viewer wrote, “but it was defamation when amber said institutions protect men accused of abuse..he’s literally been found guilty of 12 counts of domestic abuse and he’s getting celebrated by the most powerful ppl in the entertainment industry for everyone to see,” while another quote-tweeted a clip of the cameo with a quote from Heard's op-ed: “I had the rare vantage point of seeing, in real time, how institutions protect men accused of abuse."
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After the 2022 trial, Heard was instructed to award Depp $10m (£8.4m) in compensatory damages and $5m (£4.2m) in punitive damages, while she was found to have a partial win in her case and was awarded $2m (£1.6m) in compensatory damages, but no punitive damages.
In the aftermath of the trial, public opinion has swayed between Heard and Depp. While a petition to remove Heard from Aquaman 2 has gained traction, the unsealing of 6600+ pages of legal documents has revealed how Depp tried to introduce nude photos of Heard into evidence during the trial.
For more information about emotional abuse and domestic violence, you can call The Freephone National Domestic Abuse Helpline, run by Refuge on 0808 2000 247.
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