Johnny Depp says 'no one is safe' from cancel culture: 'It's not just me'


Johnny Depp, who last year lost a libel case against a tabloid that dubbed him a wife beater, has some thoughts about cancel culture.
The actor spoke about "this cancel culture" and "this instant rush to judgement based on what essentially amounts to polluted air" on Wednesday at the San Sebastian Film Festival, where he received an honorary award, Deadline reports.
"It's so far out of hand now that I can promise you that no one is safe," Depp said. "Not one of you. No one out that door. No one is safe. 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."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The Pirates of the Caribbean star last year lost a libel case against the British tabloid The Sun, which called him a "wife beater" in reference to allegations that he abused his ex-wife Amber Heard. Depp has denied the allegations and says that Heard was the one who abused him. He's currently suing her for defamation. After Depp lost his libel lawsuit, he was asked to step down from his role as Grindelwald in the Harry Potter prequel films Fantastic Beasts. That part will now be played by Mads Mikkelsen.
At the festival, Depp also urged his fans to "stand up" for "injustice, whether it's against you or someone you love, or someone you believe in," per Deadline. He also acknowledged he was worried that his presence there would be controversial, saying he "didn't want to offend anyone" but that "I haven't done anything" and dismissing "some notion of me that doesn't exist." His comments came on the same day that the Fantastic Beasts franchise announced the title and new release date for the sequel that Depp was removed from.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, Stallone
Speed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's view
Speed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talk
Speed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'
Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposes
speed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wife
speed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
-
Giant schnauzer wins top prize at Westminster show
Speed Read Monty won best in show at the 149th Westminster Kennel Club dog show
-
Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar take top Grammys
Speed Read Beyoncé took home album of the year for 'Cowboy Carter' and Kendrick Lamar's diss track 'Not Like Us' won five awards