Johnny Depp made his stunning comeback on the big screen with Jeanne du Barry. Maïwenn directed and starrer premiered at Cannes Film Festival 2023, and the actor, along with the team also promoted the film with a press conference. This was Johnny's first major movie press conference after his highly-publicised domestic abuse trial against ex-wife Amber Heard.
The press con started 25 minutes late schedule, and Johnny arrived 42 minutes after the conference started. The team of Jeanne du Barry started the press con without Depp, and the director assured the attendees that Johnny will join them. As soon as the actor arrived, he stated the 'circus' part of the festival- the drama and controversy that often comes with the experience—has been difficult for him He further added that they all are here because they made a film—not because they have a product to sell. Johnny also stated, "The majority of what you have been reading for the past five or six years is fantastically, horrifically written fiction."
Johnny emphasised the fact that he was out of a job in Hollywood since his legal controversies began. Speaking about being 'boycotted,' Depp added, "When you’re asked to resign from the film that you’re doing because of something that is merely a bunch of vowels and consonants floating in the air, yeah, you feel boycotted." Currently, Johnny doesn't feel boycotted as he doesn't need Hollywood, "Do I feel boycotted now? No, not at all. I don’t feel boycotted by Hollywood because I don’t think about Hollywood. I don’t have much further need for Hollywood."
Depp isn't even a fan of the term 'comeback.' Sharing his views on the multiple comebacks, he added, "I’ve had about 17 comebacks, apparently,” he said. “I keep wondering about the word comeback because I didn’t go anywhere…. Maybe people stopped calling out of whatever their fear was at the time. But no, I didn’t go anywhere. I’ve been sitting around." Jeanne du Barry was premiered on Cannes Film Festival, and Johnny received a 7-minute standing ovation for playing Louis XV.
