Johnny Depp made headlines last week when he spoke about how "no one is safe" from cancel culture while receiving a lifetime achievement award at the San Sebastian Film Festival.
"The various movements that came out, I'm sure with the best of intentions—however it's so far out of hand now that I can promise you that no one is safe," the Pirates of the Caribbean star said at a press conference.
Last year, Depp lost a libel case against The Sun newspaper who labeled him a wife-beater after his former spouse Amber Heard went public with domestic violence allegations against him.
Following the court battle, Depp was "asked to resign" from his role in Fantastic Beasts 3 and the actor has since said that he is being boycotted by Hollywood.
Depp's friend and Pirates of the Caribbean co-star Greg Ellis has shared some insight into how the 58-year-old actor has been dealing with his fall from grace.
"I'd say he's dealing with the allegations the best way he can, given the cartel of family law and the public's incessant appetite for information," Ellis told Newsweek.
"It takes an incredible amount of patience, self-belief and restraint to not speak out publicly when one's career and reputation are so deeply damaged because of [Heard's allegations]," Ellis explained.
Ellis is the author of "The Respondent: Exposing the Cartel of Family Law" and played Lieutenant Theodore Groves in the Pirates of the Caribbean films.
"I imagine he has a much better idea of who he can trust," Ellis continued of Depp. "A valuable commodity for a film star—and a deeper grasp of what so many parents and partners endure in family law. I admire the fact that he's been keeping a relatively low profile and recently spoke out against cancel culture."
Ellis added: "I think that the way Johnny has been conducting himself recently, in private and public, with his usual class and manners, is a testament to his strength of character. Those of us who've known and worked with him for decades are proud to stand beside him. That's what friends do for friends."
At the San Sebastian Film Festival last week, Depp told reporters that would reprise the character of Captain Jack Sparrow at "kids' birthday parties at this point."
"I'll go to somebody's house—man, I'll perform at your kid's birthday party at this point," he joked.
"I don't need a company to do that," he said. "I can just do that myself and nobody can take that away—that's the greatest pleasure of Jack Sparrow."
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
