Celebs That Have Shown Their Support For Johnny Depp

This article contains references to domestic violence.

Just in case you've been tuned out of the celebrity news cycle for the past...few years, Johnny Depp and his ex-wife Amber Heard have been locked in a series of ongoing court battles over abuse allegations that date back to their 2015-2016 marriage. The actors met while filming "The Rum Diary" in 2009 and began dating in 2012. In 2015, they tied the knot in a private ceremony in their Los Angeles home, but just 15 months later they were divorced, and Heard had filed a restraining order against Depp alleging domestic violence.

Then, two years later in 2018, Heard penned an op-ed for The Washington Post about the injustices victims of domestic violence often face. While her piece didn't call out Depp by name, the actor felt the finger being pointed at him and sued Heard, alleging her story had cost him roles (and the paychecks that go along with them). On April 12, 2022, that defamation trial finally began in Virginia. Celebrity watchers have been equal parts intrigued and disgusted at the sordid details of the Depp-Heard relationship that have been brought up in court.

And it's not just celebrity watchers who are invested in the trial, either. There are a number of bona fide celebs who are also paying attention and chiming in with their own perspectives on the drama. Below, we've rounded up all of the celebrities who are paying attention to the proceedings and have voiced their support for Johnny Depp.

Long before Amber Heard, Johnny Depp had a 14-year relationship with French singer and actor Vanessa Paradis. In an interview with the Daily Mail, Depp recalled first meeting Paradis when he was in France filming "The Ninth Gate," and how, for him, it was love at first sight. "You have this feeling — I can't really explain what it was, but I had it when I met her," he said. The pair were never legally married, but had two children together — Lily-Rose Depp and John Christopher Depp III — before amicably going their separate ways in 2012.

Almost a decade after Depp and Paradis split, the "Pirates of the Caribbean" actor sued the British tabloid The Sun for libel (the outlet had published an article that called Depp a "wife-beater"). Paradis lept to Depp's defense, providing a written statement for the court in support of her ex. StyleCaster reprinted Paradis' testimony, which spoke glowingly of her former partner. 

It reads, in part, "I have known Johnny for 25 years. ... Through all these years I've known [him] to be a kind, attentive, generous and non-violent person and father. ... I am aware of the allegations which Amber Heard has publicly accused Johnny of for more than four years now. This is nothing like the true Johnny I have known, and from my personal experience of many years, I can say he was never violent or abusive to me."

While Vanessa Paradis may have been Johnny Depp's longest relationship, she wasn't his first high-profile girlfriend. That honor lies with none other than Winona Ryder. Depp and Ryder met in 1989 at the premiere of "Great Balls of Fire!," and, five months later, they were engaged. The pair never managed to walk down the aisle, but they stayed together until 1993. In 2009, Ryder described the couple's split to Elle as "my first real break-up, the first heartbreak."

But, despite her sadness over the romance ending, Ryder has remained firmly on Depp's side amidst his legal battles with ex-wife Amber Heard. In a 2016 interview with Time magazine, Ryder called Heard's allegations against Depp "unimaginable," saying, "I can only speak from my own experience, which was wildly different than what is being said. "He was never, never that way towards me. Never abusive at all towards me. I only know him as a really good, loving, caring guy who is very, very protective of the people that he loves."

She reiterated these sentiments in a statement she gave to the court as a part of Depp's libel case against The Sun. According to Insider, her testimony about Depp read, in part, "I cannot wrap my head around these accusations. ... I truly and honestly only know him as a really good man — an incredibly loving, extremely caring guy who was so very protective of me and the people that he loves..."

Johnny Depp's defamation suit with The Sun began after the outlet published an article criticizing J.K. Rowling's decision to cast the actor in her "Fantastic Beasts" franchise. In 2016, Depp had secretly been chosen to play the wizard Gellert Grindelwald in the original "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" movie. When work began on the second installment in the series, "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald," allegations against Depp had just been made public, and many fans were wondering whether or not Rowling and Warner Bros. Studios would recast him as a result.

J.K. Rowling quickly put an end to these questions, and demonstrated her support for the actor, when she released a statement addressing Depp's role in the films on her website. She wrote, "Based on our understanding of the circumstances, the filmmakers and I are not only comfortable sticking with our original casting, but genuinely happy to have Johnny playing a major character in the movies. ... I accept that there will be those who are not satisfied with our choice of actor in the title role. However, conscience isn't governable by committee. Within the fictional world and outside it, we all have to do what we believe to be the right thing."

Ultimately, Depp would resign from the franchise in 2020 (at Warner Bros.' request, after completing work on the third movie and losing his case against The Sun). However, Rowling has never said anything negative about Depp, so we can only assume she continues to stand by him.

Actors Johnny Depp and Paul Bettany first met around 2010 when they were both working on the film "The Tourist." The two formed a fast friendship that has endured the intervening years and a good amount of recreational drug use. Given their close connection, it's not surprising that Bettany has spoken out in support of Depp a number of times. In one series of 2016 tweets, Bettany said: "known Johnny Depp for years and through several relationships. He's the sweetest, kindest, gentlest man that I've ever known. Just saying." Continuing, "All I'm saying — domestic violence is a serious allegation. Trial by twitter is unhelpful. Let the facts come out before rushing to judgment."

The pair's friendship means that Bettany has been fairly involved in the Depp-Heard trials. For example, in 2022, the men's texts were read aloud to the court. One particular exchange that raised eyebrows saw them chatting about burning or drowning Heard. Bettany has told the Independent that he feels uncomfortable with the messages being leaked. Still, despite finding himself dragged into the mess, Bettany hasn't given up on his friend and remains firmly Team Depp.

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.

Spanish actor Penelope Cruz has a filmography a mile long. Over the course of her illustrious career, she's worked with Johnny Depp a number of times — on the 2001 movie "Blow," in 2011's "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," and again in 2017's "Murder on the Orient Express." It seems that these projects have allowed the actors to build a close friendship, judging by the fact that Cruz filed a declaration in support of Depp in his 2020 defamation case against ex Amber Heard.

The statement, which was obtained by The Blast, speaks warmly about Depp. Cruz wrote, "Many years have passed and I have not only made 3 movies with him, but I also count on him as a great friend. I've always been impressed by his kindness, his brilliant mind, his talent, and his peculiar sense of humor. ... I've seen Johnny in so many situations and he is always kind to everyone around. He is one of the most generous people I know." 

Cruz finished out her statement by explaining how Depp had been present during her first pregnancy, and that he had been nothing but kind toward her and protective over her during that period. That attitude is particularly noteworthy as Hollywood is notoriously rough and unwelcoming of expectant mothers.

Another Johnny Depp co-star (and Penelope Cruz's husband), Javier Bardem has also been vocal in his support of the "Edward Scissorhands" star. In a 2017 interview with ET Canada, Bardem recalled first meeting Depp, when they were working on "Before Night Falls" in 1999, and being enchanted with his butt (Depp was dressed in drag, and Bardem was initially under the impression he was a woman). "He was super generous, and super caring and nice, and he hasn't changed a bit," Bardem said.

Bardem still thinks highly of Depp. So much so that he joined his wife in filing a declaration in support of Depp in his 2020 defamation case against ex Amber Heard. In the statement, which was first obtained by The Blast, Bardem said, "I love Johnny. ...I've had the gift of working with him twice and have experienced his respectful attitude towards every single member of the crew alongside his unique and hilarious sense of humor." The actor added, "I stand by Johnny because I have always seen and felt a true caring and loving man in him ... an extraordinary and unique artist who has listened to anyone who needed his help."

A third "Pirates of the Caribbean" cast member, Kevin McNally, has spoken up in Johnny Depp's defense. While not nearly as well-known as Depp, Penelope Cruz, or Javier Bardem, McNally did appear in all five "Pirates" films as Mr. Gibbs, one of the few virtuous pirates on the sea. In 2021, he chatted with Express about the embattled leading man, describing Depp's easy-going nature and professionalism. McNally admitted that the men are not particularly close friends, but he didn't hesitate to shoot down Amber Heard's allegations anyway, saying, "​​I've never seen a hint of any dark side to Johnny. I see a great humanitarian and a beautiful human being."

When questioned about whether or not he'd consider working with Depp again, McNally seemed very open to the idea, reiterating that, in the case of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise, in particular, there was really no story without Depp. "I don't see any impediment for him coming back and playing Jack Sparrow," the actor said to Express. That kind of support from fellow artists and professionals will likely go a long way in ensuring Depp continues to find work in Hollywood regardless of how things in his personal life turn out.

Johnny Depp's former partners and co-stars aren't the only ones coming to his defense. In 2020, the singer Sia chimed in on the drama, declaring her support for the actor. In a now-deleted tweet, Sia wrote (via Yahoo!), "Just showing my support for Johnny Depp. I mean, I'd love him to get clean and stop with the jewelry, but he is clearly the victim after hearing those tapes." While it's not clear exactly which tapes Sia is referring to, she likely meant the 2015 recordings that were played in the courtroom, in which Amber Heard admitted to becoming physically violent with Depp.

According to The New Zealand Herald, Sia's Twitter spree continued, and the singer took additional jabs at Heard, as well as Heard's ex, Elon Musk. She wrote, "Also @elonmusk, didn't you give her the seven million she 'donated' from her settlement?" (Referring to the money Depp agreed to give Heard in their initial divorce terms, which Heard then gave to Children's Hospital Los Angeles and the ACLU). Sia added, "She still came out seven million richer. Why are you protecting her? She will never get the help she needs if we all stay silent!"

Again, Sia has since deleted the entire string of tweets, but given the negative stance she took toward Heard, that possibly has less to do with her changing her mind about Depp and more to do with her attempting to avoid any public backlash.

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.

On a 2020 episode of "The Talk," Sharon Osbourne, who is no stranger to a toxic relationship herself, spoke up in support of Johnny Depp. When discussing the first libel trial on an episode of the CBS series, Osbourne commented, "It takes two to tango, and I think that they had a very vulnerable relationship. I think they're both as bad as each other. She gave him as good as she got — it wasn't just like a little mouse in the corner being battered. She gave him back, and I think that they were both drinking." While her comments didn't absolve Depp of any responsibility, they made it clear she certainly didn't think he was the only one in the wrong.

However, later comments made by Osbourne at a press event for British TalkTV shows placed her more squarely in the Team Depp camp. According to Express, Osbourne got into a bit of a spat with TV personality Piers Morgan after the conservative brought up the Depp-Heard trials, calling them "disgusting" and a "sh*t show." "Don't talk about Johnny that way!" the outlet reported Osbourne said in their argument. In our opinion, that sort of quick rebuke doesn't sound like a woman who's unsure of who she believes.