‘Hatred requires caring’: Johnny Depp on media backlash

In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Johnny Depp shared his thoughts on the public backlash he faced, revealing that despite the tumultuous period, he harbours no ill feelings toward anyone.

After enduring years of intense media scrutiny and legal battles, particularly around his high-profile divorce from Amber Heard, the actor is now focused on his future, not old grudges. 

Now back in the director's chair for his upcoming film, "Modi: Three Days on the Wing of Madness", Depp is ready to move forward. 

Reflecting on his life, Depp acknowledged how the media circus turned his personal struggles into a public spectacle. He recalled a time when it seemed as if "everybody was against me." However, Depp explained that he no longer dwells on the negativity.

"Honestly, I can sit here this very second and think about all the hit pieces, and how everybody was against me, and yeah yeah yeah, he is off the map … endless stuff. I can remember it all. Went through it all," Depp said. 

"Some of it was not the most beautiful time, some of it was hilarious. Some of it was mad. The thing is, it simply just was, and it simply just is. So, for me, it happened. I learned, man."

Depp emphasised that every experience, whether positive or painful, offers a lesson. Despite the hardships, he refuses to let resentment linger. "I don't have any ill feelings toward anyone. I don't have this great reserve of hatred, because hatred requires caring. Why carry that baggage?"

Depp's latest film, set in 1916 Paris, focuses on three turbulent days in the life of the iconic Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani. The actor was recently honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Rome Film Festival, where "Modi" premiered. This project marks Depp's return to directing after a long hiatus.

Earlier this year, Depp's last film, "Jeanne du Barry", premiered in US theatres, where he portrayed King Louis XV.

Depp's legal saga, involving a defamation case against his ex-wife Amber Heard, dominated headlines for months. After winning the case, Heard was ordered to pay him US $10 million in compensatory damages and US $350,000 in punitive damages.

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