What Will Johnny Depp Do Now?

June 1 marked the end of the six-week bitter trial between actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. The result was a victory for Depp, with his ex-wife being ordered to pay him over $10 million in damages. Whilst the outcome of the case is clear for Depp, attention will now turn to what the repercussions of this result means for his career. 

Six weeks of allegations over emotional violence and domestic abuse has done undeniable damage to both careers, with millions following the trial online. Prior to the affair, it was Depp who boasted by far the larger career between the two, having featured in some of the world’s largest blockbuster films, including ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’, ‘Alice in Wonderland’ and ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’. During the early stages of the trial, Depp stated he had lost “Nothing short of everything” as a result of the allegations against him.

However, it is difficult to ignore the fact that Depp’s career has been on a downward spiral for a number of years, even before the allegations. The most high profile loss Depp suffered was Warner Bros. requesting for him to step down from filming the third “Fantastic Beasts” after shooting just one scene. During the recent trial, Depp’s former agent and business manager also testified that his unprofessional behaviour and his reputation for issues involving substances has made major movie studios reluctant to film with the one time Golden Globe winner.

In spite of Hollywood continuing to hold Depp at arm’s length, Johnny’s loyal fan base continue to show their support online. People on social media have overwhelmingly backed Depp, with hashtags like “JusticeForJohnnyDepp” racking up nearly 3 billion views on TikTok.

As of now, Depp does not have any projects on the immediate horizon. Whilst the site IMBD Pro has nearly two dozen projects listed as being in development for Depp on its website, it is unclear how many are actually active. 

Whilst support for Depp on the internet has been strong, his career has undoubtedly been tarnished by the whole affair. However, history has shown that Hollywood is generally a forgiving community and time will likely heal any fissure between Depp and his paymasters.