Johnny Depp, who emerged victorious in the defamation case against his ex-wife Amber Heard, is making his much-anticipated return to the silver screen in Maiwenn’s historical drama ‘Jeanne Du Barry.’
The film premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival and received a resounding seven-minute standing ovation.
Following a lengthy legal battle with Heard, Depp’s appearance in the movie marks his comeback to the industry. In December 2022, Depp and Heard reached a settlement agreement, with Heard being required to pay $1 million to the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ star.
After the settlement, Depp’s legal team issued a statement confirming his intention to donate the entire $1 million settlement fee to charitable organizations.
This act of generosity is not new for Depp, as he had previously shown his benevolent side by donating his entire salary from ‘The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus’ to Heath Ledger’s daughter.
Additionally, in 2005, Depp spent $3 million to fund the funeral of his friend and inspiration for ‘Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,’ Hunter S. Thompson, ensuring a unique send-off by launching his ashes from a giant cannon.
An act of kindness from Johnny Depp:
Heath Ledger tragically passed away at the age of 28 due to an apparent accidental drug overdose in January 2008.
At the time of his death, Ledger was involved in Terry Gilliam’s ‘The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus,’ which became his final film.
Ledger had previously achieved great success with his iconic portrayal of The Joker in ‘The Dark Knight,’ a role that earned him immense critical acclaim and a posthumous Academy Award. However, the toll it took on his mental health was profound.
Ledger’s untimely passing left ‘The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus’ in a precarious state, leaving filmmaker Gilliam concerned about the future of the project without its leading star.
Nevertheless, Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, and Jude Law stepped in to salvage the film, assuming different versions of Ledger’s character, Tony, as he traversed through a dream world, bringing the project to completion.
Not only did Depp, Farrell, and Law join the film out of respect for Ledger, but they also made the selfless decision to donate their entire earnings from the movie to Ledger’s daughter, Matilda, who was only four years old at the time.
Reports indicated that the actors were concerned about Matilda’s financial well-being since Ledger had not updated his will to include his young daughter before his passing.
Their decision to donate their fees was an effort to safeguard her from potential financial difficulties.
“The fact that Ledger’s daughter will benefit from the salaries of esteemed stars like Depp, Law, and Farrell, who command significant fees, only adds to the magical effort that was made to complete this film amidst the tragic circumstances,” reported She Knows at the time.
Incredible!
