Fans did not expect Johnny Depp to appear near the end of "Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them." Now, the Oscar-winning actor has finally spoken out against the scrutiny he received following his casting in the franchise.
According to Metro, fans have been backlashing author JR Rowling, director David Yates, and product David Heyman for including Johnny Depp (plays Gellert Grindelwald) in the film as mentioned earlier. The uproar came after the 55-year-old allegedly abused his ex-wife Amber Heard, though he has been relentlessly denying the allegations.
Johnny Depp, who is known for playing Jack Sparrow in the "Pirates Of The Caribbean" franchise, said that he "felt bad" for Rowling. He did not like that the "Harry Potter" author had to face the entire backlash following his casting.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Johnny Depp expressed how sorry he was for Rowling. The latter, according to him, had to be in a position where she fielded all the backlash from people. "I felt bad that she had to take that," the "Alice In Wonderland" actor said.
Johnny Depp insisted that, ultimately, "there is real controversy." He did not only point out that he was falsely accused but also suggested that Rowling herself "has seen the evidence." Hence, according to him, the author knows that he was falsely accused.
Johnny Depp argued that had Rowling believed otherwise, she would not support him. That the award-winning author believed in his innocence and, thus, supported him all the way.
Johnny Depp's statement came after Rowling responded to all the criticism courtesy of fans. In a previously released statement, she said that the decision to include Depp was hers and that she was happy with the decision, despite anger from the audience.
Her statement reads, "The agreements that have been put in place to protect the privacy of two people, both of whom have expressed a desire to get on with their lives, must be respected."
Rowling also added that not only are they happy and comfortable with the original casting, they are also "genuinely" satisfied with the casting of Johnny Depp, who plays a major character in the movies.
The controversy sprouted after Heard accused Johnny Depp of domestic violence in May 2016, though she would later settle the case a few months after. Interestingly, she seems to have responded to Rowling's statement by reposting it after the finalization of the settlement.
Rowling said it is not right for people to pick and side certain lines, especially if they decide to take these out of context.
