Johnny Depp won the People’s Choice Award for “Favorite Movie Icon” last night. This would not normally be a newsworthy (the People’s Choice Awards matter even less than the annual “Thespian Awards” at my suburban Texas high school and “Favorite Movie Icon” is a meaningless category), but because Depp has extensive history of drug-fueled violence and was accused by his ex-wife Amber Heard of physical abuse in 2016, his speech raised a few eyebrows.
While accepting the award, the Mortdecai star said (emphasis mine):
I came here for one reason tonight and one reason only. I came here for you the people. Through whatever good times and bad you’ve stood by me and trusted me, thank you. You very, very graciously invited me here once again tonight and I appreciate that very much. You have no idea how much I appreciate it.
I was very deeply affected by the kindness of your recognition and by your well wishes to my family and to myself, which is why it’s especially meaningful to be here in front of you. To say thank you. And to tell you that I truly feel that need to thank you. Because in all honesty, we all know that none of us—especially me—wouldn’t be standing up here if it weren’t for you tonight.
Though Depp could be referencing any number of “bad” moments from his life (there have been plenty), to this blogger, it sounds like he’s thanking fans for ignoring Heard’s claims that he beat her up multiple times and “trusting” that he is—on the contrary—a good, non-violent man deserving of an award as prestigious as “favorite movie icon.” In other words, he thanked them for not believing the victim.
Heard and Depp settled their domestic violence case back in August. Their baffling joint statement asserted that “neither party lied.”