Johnny Depp arrives at Cannes in the eye of a very ugly storm
Cannes' decision to include Depp's film Jeanne du Barry in it's opening night slate has drawn criticism from those who feel the festival uplifts abusers
Following a legal loss in the U.K. and a legal victory in the U.S. concerning the alleged abuse of his wife Amber Heard, Johnny Depp arrived at the Cannes Film Festival on Monday for the premiere of his new film Jeanne du Barry. The film marks Depp’s return to the big screen for the first time in three years, having been mired in controversy over his personal life.
Depp plays French monarch Louis XV opposite the film’s director, Maiwenn, as the king’s favored mistress. Maiwenn herself has been the subject of controversy, recently admitting to assaulting a journalist who was investigating sexual misconduct allegations against her ex-husband Luc Besson.
“She’s outspokenly anti-#MeToo and she made a gesture to please her world, and that’s why she bragged about it on TV. We could see a sort of pride that echoed that world,” journalist Edwy Plenel told Variety. The filmmaker reportedly grabbed Plenel by the hair and spit in his face during an altercation in March. “I don’t know Maiwenn, I never met her. I would have been unable to recognize her,” said Plenel, the founder and editor-in-chief of French investigative outlet Mediapart. “This aggression caused more stupor than anything else. She didn’t attack just me individually, but the symbol that I represent, as the founder and director of a journal, which in France has been at the forefront of all the #MeToo revelations.”
Depp’s presence has put a perhaps uncomfortable spotlight on the festival. Juror Brie Larson pushed back on a question directed to her about Depp’s involvement, saying she didn’t “understand the correlation” of why she was specifically being questioned about it. (Per Deadline, the journalist referenced her as an “outspoken advocate for Time’s Up.”) “I’ll see it when I see it,” Larson said of Jeanne du Barry. “I don’t know how I feel about it frankly.”
Festival head Thierry Frémaux claimed he didn’t “know the image of Johnny Depp in the United States” while defending the choice to program Jeanne du Barry at the festival (via Deadline). “He is extraordinary in the film in a role which is difficult. I don’t why he was cast. You will have to ask Maïwenn her reasons for choosing him,” Frémaux said. “For the rest, I’m the last person to talk to about this because if there is one person in the world who is not interested in this very mediatized process, it’s me. I am interested in Johnny Depp as an actor.”
Ultimately, Depp was greeted with warmth on the Cannes red carpet, reportedly “swarmed” (per TMZ) by fans and signing plenty of autographs. Per Variety, a press conference will follow the premiere, which may end up touching on the various controversies the movie has courted.