Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s legal battle has lasted a number of years, jump started by Amber Heard’s 2018 op-ed about domestic violence. After multiple lawsuits, the Pirates of the Caribbean actor largely came out the victor in their defamation trial, and seemingly cleared his name in the process. So is Depp’s career officially saved after beating Heard in court? One PR expert has weighed in.
Johnny Depp’s career appeared to be in jeopardy for a while there; he and Amber Heard were unable to film anything while in court, and he was notably fired from his role as Grindelwald in the Fantastic Beasts franchise. But following his general victory in court, he’s been keeping busy as a musician and is filming his first post-trial movie, while also booking a new directing gig. Evan Nierman, CEO of Global PR Firm Red Banyan recently spoke to Insider about Depp’s road to redemption, where he maintained that it’s “highly unlikely” that the actor will be out of work after the verdict. As he put it,
We should expect the floodgates to open now that the trial is behind him. We are seeing the first signs of it already, with more likely to come. Johnny Depp was always likely to emerge from the Heard-Depp legal saga with plenty of opportunities left in his career. The lack of conclusive evidence that he committed the abuse alleged by his ex-wife has put him back in the category of Hollywood superstar, from which he was only temporarily sidelined.
Well, there you have it. From Evan Neirman’s perspective, this is only the beginning of Johnny Depp’s victory tour. Because aside from seemingly clearing his name in court, the public seems to be largely on his side as well. And as such, Depp should once again be able to reclaim his A-lister status– at least according to Neirman.
Indeed, the money has started rolling back in for Johnny Depp in the wake of the defamation trial victory. He recently signed a new seven-figure deal with Dior to once again be the face of the Sauvage scent. And on top of music gigs and his return to the director’s chair, it looks like Depp is in for more paydays. As Neirman put it,
Johnny Depp invested a lot in terms of his time, energy, and financial resources to clearing his name and it seems to be paying off in the end.
After Johnny Depp’s victory in court, some fans are wondering if he might return to the role of Grindelwald in the Fantastic Beasts franchise. Mads Mikkelsen even addressed this recently, seemingly thinking it’s a possibility if the fourth movie is ever green lit by Warner Bros.
While Johnny Depp is seemingly having a professional upswing, will Amber Heard be able to follow suit? Evan Neirman spoke about the fate of the Aquaman actress’ career, saying:
She made a choice to step out publicly and drape herself in the flag of #metoo, but the jury and the public did not find her credible.
Of course, he also acknowledged that this might change if Amber Heard’s attempts at appealing the verdict are successful. The legal situation is still unfolding, with the public following each update as both legal teams continue to fight for their client.
Johnny Depp is filming his first post-trial movie now, while Amber Heard will be seen in Aquaman 2 on March 17th, 2023. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
