Johnny Depp is set to appear in Rihanna’s upcoming fashion show, a source confirmed to CBS News on Thursday. It will be one of Depp’s first major appearances since the defamation trial with his ex-wife and fellow actor Amber Heard earlier this year.
Depp’s appearance, which was first reported by TMZ, will be during the Savage X Fenty fashion show’s “star moment,” the source said. He will be the first male in the show’s history to be featured in the role, the source said.
Depp and Rihanna were “thrilled to collaborate,” the source said.
The show is set to air on Amazon Prime Video on November 9. According to TMZ, Depp has already filmed his part.
The news was met with mixed reactions online, with some fans applauding the actor’s surprise appearance, while others questioned Rihanna’s choice to include Depp in the show, leading the hashtag #JohnnyDeppIsAWifeBeater to trend on Twitter.
News of Depp’s appearance comes months after the “Pirates of the Caribbean” star made a surprise appearance as the Moon Person at the MTV Video Music Awards earlier this year. Hovering down from the ceiling, Depp, or rather a digital depiction of his face, appeared inside the helmet of the VMA mascot and cracked several jokes throughout the broadcast.
A jury found both Depp and Heard liable in their defamation suits earlier this year. Depp had sued his ex-wife for a December 2018 op-ed she wrote for The Washington Post in which she described herself as “a public figure representing domestic abuse.” Depp was never mentioned by name in the article, but his team argued that he was defamed.
Heard then counter-sued Depp for a statement his attorney made to the Daily Mail calling her abuse claims a hoax.
Much of the trial testimony centered on both sides’ abuse allegations. Heard described more than a dozen alleged assaults, including at least one sexual assault, while Depp said he never hit Heard and that she was the abuser.
Depp was awarded $15 million in damages while Heard was awarded $2 million. While the jury found Depp should receive $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages, the judge said Virginia state law caps punitive damages at $350,000, meaning Depp’s award would total $10.35 million.
