Johnny Depp Says JK Rowling Knows He Was ‘Falsely Accused’ Of Abuse By Ex-Wife Amber Heard

Controversial actor Johnny Depp has broken his silence about the drama surrounding his role in the blockbuster Fantastic Beasts franchise and the allegations of abuse against his ex-wife, Amber Heard, according to Entertainment Weekly.

“I’ll be honest with you, I felt bad for J.K. [Rowling] having to field all these various feelings from people out there. I felt bad that she had to take that,” the 55-year-old actor told Entertainment Weekly. “But ultimately, there is real controversy. The fact remains I was falsely accused.”

Depp, who was cast as the main villain of the series, Gellert Grindelwald, claimed that Rowling “knows” he was “falsely accused,” which contributed as to why she came out and supported him publicly.

“J.K. has seen the evidence and therefore knows I was falsely accused, and that’s why she has publicly supported me,” he said. “She doesn’t take things lightly. She would not stand up if she didn’t know the truth. So that’s really it.”

When the shooting started for the second entry in the Fantastic Beasts franchise, the studio, Warner Bros., director David Yates, and J.K. Rowling herself all put out statements.

“When Johnny Depp was cast as Grindelwald, I thought he’d be wonderful in the role,” Rowling, 52, wrote Thursday on her website. “However, around the time of filming his cameo in the first movie, stories had appeared in the press that deeply concerned me and everyone most closely involved in the franchise.”

Depp has denied any accusations of wrongdoing or domestic violence toward ex-wife Amber Heard.

Only two days before Depp’s comments, Heard appeared at the Incredible Women gala hosted by Porter Magazine, an event to commemorate the one year anniversary of the start of the Me Too movement, according to Variety.

Heard read an open letter from “some of the most painful and difficult times in my life.” The letter was written in December, 2016, very shortly after filing for divorce from Depp. She donated the whole of her divorce settlement to charities for domestic violence and children’s issues.

“Let’s start with the truth, the cold hard truth. When a woman comes forward to speak about her suffering, about injustice, instead of aid, respect and support, she will be met with hostility, skepticism and shame. Her motives will be questioned and her truth will be ignored. No matter how terrible or terrifying surviving trauma may be, truth is, it can pale in comparison to what happens after,” Heard wrote in the letter.

“It’s no wonder that so many of us feel that we have to keep quiet, or keep our own safety to try to maintain our dignity by quietly enduring. The fear of being ostracized by your community is just about the most terrifying prospect there is,” she continued. “But I’m here to tell you there’s no need to make that terrible trade. It isn’t easy to raise your voice, to stand up for yourself and your truth and to do it alone, but our world is changing. Standing shoulder to shoulder as women, we comprise a vast army of voices and we can no longer accept silence.”

Part 2 pic.twitter.com/daGIlKOk6a

— Kirsten Chuba (@KirstenChuba) October 10, 2018

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is set to debut in Paris on November 8, and for release in U.S. and U.K. theaters November 16.