Johnny Depp joins TikTok, because of course he does
Depp thanks fans for their support during his defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard
If Johnny Depp’s recent trial has proved anything (and it’s certainly shed light on some troubling realities), it’s that he knows exactly how to play the fame game. He knows exactly how to stir up his rabidly devoted fanbase, which exists on all corners of the Internet–and lately, quite a few of them live on TikTok.
And where Depp stans go, so too goes Depp himself. On Tuesday, the actor launched an account on the platform that hosted so many memes, dissections, and out-of-context clips from the defamation trial between himself and ex-wife Amber Heard. His first post features footage from his recent appearance onstage with Jeff Beck as well as driving through the crowds outside the courthouse in Virginia. It has all the appearance of a classic “fancam” (filtered images edited together with music), which comes across a bit frivolous given the gravity of the latter occasion.
In the caption of the post, also shared to Instagram, Depp wrote, “To all of my most treasured, loyal and unwavering supporters. We’ve been everywhere together, we have seen everything together. We have walked the same road together. We did the right thing together, all because you cared. And now, we will all move forward together.”
(A gentle reminder here that none of us—not even the most unwavering supporters—have actually “seen everything” that went down between Heard and Depp, even if you consumed the entire trial like an HBO Max true crime miniseries.)
The post continued, “You are, as always, my employers and once again I am whittled down to no way to say thank you, other than just by saying thank you. So, thank you. My love & respect, JD.”
Sifting through that last bit of word salad, it’s clear that Depp realizes the outsize impact that social media had on this case. But while his keyboard warriors might feel they’ve seen justice done, Heard’s side would definitely take issue with that framing.
In a statement obtained by People, a spokesperson for Heard reacted to his new TikTok post, saying, “As Johnny Depp says he’s ‘moving forward,’ women’s rights are moving backward. The verdict’s message to victims of domestic violence is … be afraid to stand up and speak out.”