Johnny Depp Calls Himself a ‘Crash Test Dummy for #MeToo’ and Says He Has ‘No Regrets’ After Legal Fights

Johnny Depp is speaking up again about the court battles that changed his life. In a new interview with The Sunday Times, the actor looked back on the years-long legal fights and how they affected his career, reputation, and personal life.

Depp said he felt like a “crash test dummy for #MeToo,” referring to how quickly the public reacted when his ex-wife Amber Heard accused him of abuse in 2016. At the time, the couple was going through a divorce, and her claims became major news, eventually leading to two high-profile trials that got international attention.

The first was in the U.K., where Depp sued the tabloid The Sun in 2020 for calling him a “wife beater.” He lost that case. After the verdict, he said Warner Bros. asked him to leave his role in the Fantastic Beasts films, and he agreed to step down.

The second trial happened in the U.S. after Depp filed a lawsuit against Heard in 2019. He claimed she defamed him in a newspaper article where she described herself as a victim of domestic abuse. That case, which played out in 2022, was live-streamed and followed by millions online. The jury found both Depp and Heard had defamed each other, though Depp was awarded more in damages.

In the interview, Depp explained why he felt the need to speak out during the U.S. trial. “If I don’t try to represent the truth, it will be like I’ve actually committed the acts I am accused of,” he said. He also mentioned that he wasn’t nervous before the trial because he was just telling his side. “If you don’t have to memorize lines, if you’re just speaking the truth? Roll the dice.”

Depp also said he didn’t care how hard it got. “I’ll fight until the bitter f**** end. And if I end up pumping gas? That’s all right. I’ve done that before.”

Now, Depp is slowly returning to the spotlight. He’s working on a new movie he directed called Modi, and he’s also acting again. He’ll appear alongside Penélope Cruz in Day Drinker, a comedy that’s expected to come out in 2026.

When asked how he feels about everything now, he said, “I have no regrets about anything — because, truly, what can we do about last week’s dinner? Not a f**** thing.”