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Credit: DisneyDior advertisements featuring Johnny Depp have not gone down well in France where posters of the actor have allegedly been graffitied with the French words for “rapist” and “shame.”
Fresh off his legal battles with ex-wife Amber Heard, Johnny Depp landed a $20 million deal – the biggest deal ever for a men’s fragrance – to be the face of Dior Sauvage in May 2023. Public responses were mixed with some hailing the actor’s return to the spotlight and others criticizing Dior for endorsing Depp in light of Heard’s accusations of assault, rape, and threatening to kill her during their marriage.
As Dior continues to roll out more campaigns featuring Depp, it seems that some are unafraid to show their support for Heard over Depp. Images were recently shared on Reddit claiming that posters in France had been defaced with the word “violeur” (“rapist”) and covered in stickers that read “shame.”
Dior’s advertising in France using Johnny Depp is not going well,” the image and thread were titled, shared in the subreddit r/DeppDelusion.
Dior’s advertising in France using Johnny Depp is not going well.
byu/BrilliantAntelope625 inDeppDelusion
Depp previously spent extensive periods of time in France during his relationship with French actress Vanessa Paradis. He even purchased a village in the Provence region, which has been on the market for $63 million since 2015.
Activists and journalists in France have been especially vocal in their support of Heard and denunciation of Depp. When the actor walked the red carpet at Cannes in 2023, multiple feminist groups and 123 French actors and actresses criticized the festival for allowing his attendance. “We are deeply outraged and refuse to remain silent in the face of the toxic politics espoused by the Cannes film festival,” said an open letter published in Libération.
The actor won his defamation case against Heard in 2022. Heard was found liable for all three examples given by Depp. However, Depp was also found liable in one of three three matters of defamation given by Heard in her counterclaim. Depp previously lost a libel case against News Group Newspapers (NGN) and former executive editor of The Sun Dan Wootton after an article dubbed him a “wife beater.”
If the response to Depp’s posters are anything to go by, the accusations against the former Pirates of the Caribbean actor – who lost his iconic role of Captain Jack Sparrow following Heard’s claims – won’t be forgotten in France any time soon. However, that hasn’t stopped the actor rooting his acting comeback in the country; his first appearance on the big screen in several years came in 2023’s Jeanne du Barry, in which he portrayed King Louis XV and spoke in French.
What do you think of Johnny Depp’s partnership with Dior? Let us know in the comments.