Johnny Depp has had a rollercoaster of times since winning $8.35 million in a defamation lawsuit against ex-wife Amber Heard on June 1.
On the one hand, unresolved court documents revealed this week that her ex-boyfriend, Ellen Barkin, said in a statement that, during their relationship, he was “verbally abusive,” drank too much red wine and had to hit the actress for the first time. Gave a quald. gender. His alleged erectile dysfunction was exposed, as were raw texts with Marilyn Manson.
Separately, Depp and guitarist Jeff Beck were accused of plagiarizing a convicted murderer’s poem in a new song they recorded together.
But last week, the actor was in the news about the $3.6 million sale of his artwork — titled “friends and heroes,” it features pop-art renderings of Al Pacino, Bob Dylan, Elizabeth Taylor and Keith Richards.
According to the Castle Fine Art Gallery in London – where the 780-piece show was mounted and sold “almost immediately” – the wild interest came as a surprise. “I don’t think anyone was talking [ahead of time] About our website crashing or the work being sold out in a matter of hours,” a gallery spokesperson told The Post.
“The lawsuit may have put an accelerator on him because people think he’s a hero,” a Depp insider told The Post. “But people have always bought what Johnny does.”
Depp also made headlines on stage at concerts with Beck and his contract was renewed as Sauvage’s spokesperson: According to wall street journalAfter Depp’s trial ended in June, Sauvage was the best-selling man’s eau de parfum on Sephora.com.
He’s also back in front of the cameras with a starring role in “Jean du Barry,” which began shooting on Monday.
It’s a European film, perhaps no coincidence, as the actor was pressured to resign from “Fantastic Beasts” in 2020 and be roped in for the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise (before reportedly being wooed back in June). ) was asked to walk on the plank. ,
“Being in Europe is business as usual for Johnny,” a friend of Depp’s told The Post. “He was not canceled or shamed there. So he remains more comfortable [in Europe] compared to America. ,
All this high-profile activity could be seen as a well-intentioned celebration of his release from the shackles of the trial, but the insider called the timing “grave”. This is not a victory lap. It’s Johnny finally able to go back and lead his life, fueled by a landslide jury’s decision that proved Amber Heard’s allegations to be false.
Hurd’s representative did not Respond to a request for comment.
“These plans were put to the test well in advance of time,” said the Depp insider. “The tour and the film were already scheduled. In terms of art, he has been painting and painting people since as long as I have known him. He has never been painting.”
A spokesperson for the gallery confirmed to The Post of the Art Sale, “It’s a matter of doing this when the gallery was ready and when Johnny was ready. Time was fixed before everyone knew [trial] Result.”
The album, “18,” recorded with Beck, was released on July 15. “Has been working on two continents, for quite some time,” the insider said. “Johnny first came to Hollywood with a band, and rock ‘n’ roll has been his lifelong love.”
In fact, when the Beck touring schedule conflicted with the end of the trial, Depp chose a side for his sense of commitment.
“He wasn’t there for the verdict because he had already planned to tour with Jeff Beck,” the insider said of the dozen live performances the rocker played with. “Johnny missed the first night of the tour so he could be in court for the closing arguments. But he never let Jeff down. The arguments ended and he arrived on tour as quickly as possible.
At an event in Prague, on July 11, Depp’s trial lawyer Camille Vasquez was in the crowd and went backstage before the show. She was vacationing with her boyfriend and was accompanied by a junior member of his legal team. The attorney was seen handing out what appeared to be an embellished necklace to Depp and the star smiled widely as she held it up for the audience to love.
Although Vasquez was embraced and warmly received, a knowledgeable source told The Post that there is no truth to the online rumors of a romance between the two.
“Camille did a great job…but she and Camille were never good friends. Johnny was fighting for his life and she was on his job to make it happen,” the source said. You can’t go out for beer at Foxhole with the other guys, but you all want to win.”
About six weeks ago, when the legal victory took place, Depp found out about it during a tour of Newcastle upon Tyne, England. Depp’s friend told The Post that the actor saw it on television, surrounded by friends, “More than anything,” said the friend, “he had a sense of relief. They celebrated that night.”
When asked if the bubbly bottles were torn, the friend replied, “I don’t know if he had alcohol. It was relief and recognition. ,
Added the insider, “Johnny celebrated the victory by moving into something he loves more than anything: playing music and backing records he made with Jeff. The day after the verdict, he Played and a fanatical throng of support greeted him.”
In the UK it was reported that some Depp was surrounded by 200 fans outside the venue And the girls had to stop grabbing the actor.
“Johnny takes it seriously and does what he always does,” said a source in the know. “He goes out and watches fans and signs things and introduces himself to people who have always supported him.”
There was no shortage of dirty laundry in the trial — which included allegations of Depp throwing a wine bottle and biting the tip of the actor’s finger — but the source said Depp bowed down and accepted it.
“It is imperative that he knew that the world had seen everything come out,” said the source. “Johnny never wavered because the world was finally allowed to know what it always knew [about the situation with Heard], Then a US jury concurred on all of his claims. He was proved. how would you feel?”
Regarding Depp’s current state physically and mentally, the insider said, “Consider he’s gone from a trial to a movie to a rock ‘n’ roll tour, with no breaks in between and no time to reflect. No time, I’m sure he’s tired, but… he’s working hard for the things he loves.”
Credit: nypost.com /