While celebrity lawsuits are known for turning heads, Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s legal battle is on another level entirely. The two actors have been duking it out in court for years, but things heated up and went especially viral due to their defamation case in Virginia. And you can thank that Depp trial for all those people dressed as Pirates of the Caribbean’s Jack Sparrow at Halloween this year.
The Johnny Depp and Amber Heard defamation case dominated the news cycle as the action played out in court, with cameras in the courtroom allowing plenty of moments to go viral, or be turned into memes. And according to TMZ, it looks like the high-profile nature of their case (which is still in the appeals process) inspired a whopping 90% increase in Pirates of the Caribbean costume sales. So buckle up, it looks like we’re going to see a ton of people in Jack Sparrow costumes asking about rum.
TMZ got this report about sales from the leadership at HalloweenCostumes.com, which is unsurprisingly a popular destination for folks to shop for looks online. They’ve got a few different Jack Sparrow costumes, but the seller has reportedly already sold 85% of its inventory related to Johnny Depp’s Disney movie franchise. Clearly there’s a renewed interest in both Pirates and the actor himself following his victory in court.
Of course, I have to wonder how many of these buyers are going to wear the traditional Pirates of the Caribbean costume, and how many are going to be making their own alterations related to his defamation case against Amber Heard. People tend to love making Halloween costumes about pop culture events, and there was perhaps nothing more viral this year than Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s face off in court.
Then again, the seriousness of the defamation case might dissuade Halloween celebrations from specifically targeting the Heard/Depp trial. Both actors have alleged serious abuse allegations against the other, including physical, emotional, and even sexual. And as such, any Halloween costumes that reference the trial could be deemed insensitive.
Every day of the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard trial brought new headlines, especially when the pair of actors took the stand for days at a time. Every frame of footage was dissected by the public, who took sides via coffee cups and sounding off online. And in the end it seems like moviegoing fans largely sided with the Pirates of the Caribbean actor, as one can see with the sale of Jack Sparrow Halloween costumes.
Despite the continued popularity of Johnny Depp’s most iconic character, he’s currently not attached to play Jack Sparrow in any of Disney’s developing Pirates of the Caribbean movies. But he’s been keeping busy as a musician and actor, while also recently picking up a directing gig. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
