Amber Heard's Friend Blasts Brie Larson for Shutting Down Depp Question

Amber Heard's friend Eve Barlow has spoken out on social media, after footage was shared of Brie Larson appearing taken aback when asked about Johnny Depp's presence at the Cannes Film Festival.

Depp, 59, made a return to the red carpet on Tuesday night, when his new movie, Jeanne du Barry, opened the festival on the French Riviera. The actor portrays King Louis XV in French director Maïwenn's historical love story.

It marked Depp's first film role in three years, following the high-profile legal battle he had with ex-wife Heard, 37. She had accused him of domestic abuse during their ill-fated relationship, and Depp made similar claims against Heard. Both parties vehemently denied the accusations.

As Depp and Heard faced off in a Virginia court in 2022, a number of fans and celebrities alike shared their opinions on which party they sided with. Though Depp emerged from the trial victorious, he has been criticized by an army of detractors.

Larson, 33, who is serving on this year's competition jury at Cannes, was asked for her opinion on Depp's movie opening the annual film festival when she appeared on a panel. Larson was a pivotal part of the Time's Up movement, created in 2018 to combat sexual harassment. She also visibly supported #MeToo, a social movement, bringing awareness to similar issues.

Matt Donnelly, Variety's senior entertainment and media writer, said to Larson that as an "outspoken and very vocal advocate for Time's Up and #MeToo, I'm curious how you feel about Johnny Depp's film opening the festival, and do you plan to see it?"

"You're asking me that?" Larson asked, before continuing: "Um. I don't know... I'm sorry, I don't understand the correlation or why me specifically."

Donnelly went on to explain that it was because she was "on the celebrity advisory counsel for Time's Up. I think the Johnny Depp case has been very well played out in the American and international media.

"There's been some controversy about that film being chosen to play out of competition and open Cannes. So I'm just curious if you will see it and how you feel about its selection here," Donnelly said.

"Um, well, you'll see, I guess, if I see it," Larson awkwardly responded. "And I don't know how I'll feel about it if I do."

Newsweek has reached out to a representative of Larson via email for comment.

When footage of the exchange was shared on Twitter, Scottish-born music journalist Barlow expressed her distaste for what she saw as Depp's "power."

"Wow this is a reincarnation of what it must have looked like to a fly on the wall when any woman of note panicked about how to get away with not publicly speak out during the trial last year," Barlow tweeted. "'WHERE IS THE EXIT BUTTON????'"

"In all seriousness, this is the power of Johnny Depp," Barlow went on to tweet. "Nobody will speak out because of the steer this man has in Hollywood. Amber stood alone."

While the post received support, it was also met with a flood of comments from Depp fans, who expressed their criticisms of Heard.

Barlow has been a fierce defender of Heard, so much so that she was kicked out of the courtroom during the Aquaman star's televised trial against Depp.

Judge Penney S. Azcarate told Page Six at the time: "She was tweeting live from my courtroom ... and I know the deputies took her out because she was texting. That's against the court order," she said. "Ms. Barlow is not coming back into the courtroom during this trial."

Depp sued his ex-wife for $50 million after she published an op-ed in The Washington Post in 2018 titled, "I spoke up against sexual violence—and faced our culture's wrath."

Though she did not mention the Pirates of the Caribbean star by name, Heard referred to herself as "a public figure representing domestic abuse." Depp and his lawyers argued that she implied he abused her throughout their marriage.

Heard later filed a countersuit for $100 million, but Depp won the case on June 1, 2022. He was awarded $15 million in damages by a jury. Heard would only have to pay him $10.35 million, though, due to a Virginia law capping punitive damages. She was awarded $2 million in damages from her countersuit after he was found to have defamed her.

On July 21, Heard's lawyers filed a notice to appeal the verdict. A spokesperson for Depp responded to the motion, telling Newsweek: "We remain confident in our case and that this verdict will stand."

That same day, Barlow shared a cryptic tweet, seemingly referring to the appeal. "Anyone, once again: Amber Heard is the most courageous woman in Hollywood. Goodnight y'all."

Depp had lost a 2020 libel case against British tabloid The Sun, which had labeled the actor a "wife-beater" in reference to Heard's allegations.

Heard accused Depp of domestic abuse during their divorce proceedings in 2016. The stars, who wed in 2015, had their union officially dissolved in January 2017, months after Heard filed for divorce.

While Depp had repeatedly denied ever having been violent to Heard during the three-week trial in London, the overseeing judge found that the U.K. publication's claims that the actor was abusive to Heard were "substantially true."

Depp was "asked to resign" from Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore following the 2020 verdict. He was subsequently replaced in his role as Gellert Grindelwald by Mads Mikkelsen.