Johnny Depp says 'no one is safe' from cancel culture: 'It's so far out of hand now'
- Johnny Depp said "no one is safe" from cancel culture during a recent press conference in Spain.
- "It's so far out of hand now," Depp said of the "instant rush to judgment," according to Deadline.
- Depp resigned from the "Fantastic Beasts" franchise after ex Amber Heard accused him of abusing her.
Johnny Depp said cancel culture has become "so far out of hand" during a recent press conference at a Spanish film festival.
The "Pirates of the Caribbean" actor made the comments on Wednesday when he was in Spain to accept the San Sebastian International Film Festival's honorary Donostia Award, given annually to recognize "outstanding contributions to the film world" from "great names who will be part of cinema history forever," according to the festival's website.
While accepting the prestigious career achievement during a press conference, Depp seemingly addressed the fallout from his ex Amber Heard's domestic abuse allegations against him, which he's repeatedly denied.
"It can be seen as an event in history that lasted for however long it lasted, this cancel culture, this instant rush to judgment based on what essentially amounts to polluted air," Depp said, according to Deadline.
"It's so far out of hand now that I can promise you that no one is safe. Not one of you. No one out that door. No one is safe," he added.
According to the actor, "it takes one sentence and there's no more ground, the carpet has been pulled."
"It's not just me that this has happened to, it's happened to a lot of people," Depp said. "This type of thing has happened to women, men. Sadly at a certain point they begin to think that it's normal. Or that it's them. When it's not."
Depp also appeared to address his past court case with News Group Newspapers, the publisher of the UK news outlet The Sun, who labeled him a "wife-beater." Afterward, the actor accused the newspaper of libel. (On November 2, the British court ruled against Depp in the libel trial and Depp was later denied the right to appeal the ruling twice.)
"It doesn't matter if a judgment, per se, has taken some artistic license," he said at the press conference. "When there's an injustice, whether it's against you or someone you love, or someone you believe in - stand up, don't sit down."
Depp announced he was asked to resign from the "Fantastic Beasts" films in November 2020 (in which he played Gellert Grindelwald), days after the initial ruling in his libel case against The Sun.
He was eventually replaced in the "Fantastic Beasts" movies by actor Mads Mikkelsen.