Johnny Depp Apologizes: ‘I Intended No Malice’ Says Megastar After Trump Assassination Joke
On Friday, Hollywood megastar Johnny Depp apologized for his controversial remarks about President Donald Trump. Speaking at the Glastonbury Festival in the United Kingdom, Depp asked the audience “when was the last time an actor assassinated a president?”
Depp was allegedly making a reference to the actor John Wilkes Booth who was responsible for assassinating Abraham Lincoln in 1865.
Following widespread condemnation of Depp’s remarks, the actor issued an apology on Friday, acknowledging that his joke was in “poor taste.”
“I apologize for the bad joke I attempted last night in poor taste about President Trump. It did not come out as intended, and I intended no malice. I was only trying to amuse, not to harm anyone.”
President Trump’s supporters were outraged by Johnny Depp’s comments and accused the actor of calling for the murder of a sitting president. A #FireDepp hashtag quickly began trending on social media as Trump supporters called for a boycott of future films starring Johnny Depp.
#JohnnyDepp's comments should infuriate every American. He advocated the murder of our POTUS on foreign soil. #FireDepp
— John Cardillo (@johncardillo) June 23, 2017
Wife beater, Financial collapse. Emotional collapse. Drugs? And now threatening a president…He sounds unstable…@Disney should #FireDepp
— Lisa (@Rockprincess818) June 23, 2017
As reported by Reuters, Trump’s White House expressed indignation at Depp’s actions, describing his words as “sad” and “troubling.”
“President Trump has condemned violence in all forms and it’s sad that others like Johnny Depp have not followed his lead.”
Capitol Hill added their voice to the fray.
“I hope that some of Mr. Depp’s colleagues will speak out against this type of rhetoric as strongly as they would if his comments were directed to a Democrat elected official.”
Johnny Depp appeared at the Glastonbury Festival to take part in a screening of The Libertine, a film Depp starred in more than a decade ago. After suggesting that President Trump needed help, Depp alluded to Lincoln’s assassination.
“Can we bring Trump here? When was the last time an actor assassinated a president?”
Depp went further, saying that it was time that another assassination attempt was made.
“Now I want to clarify, I’m not an actor. I lie for a living. However, it’s been a while, and maybe it’s time.”
Dismay also came from the Republican camp when Ronna Romney McDaniel, the chair of the Republican National Committee, expressed anger on Twitter.
No joke about killing @POTUS is acceptable. I'm sick of celebrities getting away with such disgusting comments. https://t.co/8gPifbrMmJ
— Ronna McDaniel (@GOPChairwoman) June 23, 2017
Johnny Depp has not had a good year after he became embroiled in a hostile divorce from his ex-wife, Amber Heard. The actress accused Depp of physically assaulting her, which formed the basis of her legal case for terminating their marriage.
Depp’s recent appearance in the hit Disney film franchise, Pirates of the Carribean, was universally lambasted in what critics described as a disappointing installment in the series.
[Featured Image by Rich Fury/Getty Images]
