Fiona Govan
HOLLYWOOD star Johnny Depp warned that no-one was safe from ‘cancel culture’ as he collected San Sebastian’s Donostia Award in the face of criticism from women’s groups.
The 58 year-old actor was heckled during a press conference in the northern Spanish city on Wednesday when a recording of ex-wife Amber Heard was played.
Depp, lost a libel battle with British tabloid The Sun that labelled him a “wife beater” last year, when a London court ruled he had repeatedly assaulted his former partner, U.S. actor Amber Heard.
Addressing the protest he said: “It’s a very complex situation, this cancel culture, or this instant rush to judgement based on essentially what amounts to polluted air.
“It’s got so far out of hand that I can assure you no-one is safe, not one of you, so long as someone is willing to say one thing. It takes one sentence, then there’s no more ground,” he told a news conference, ahead of a ceremony to collect the Donostia award, San Sebastian’s honorary lifetime achievement prize.
“The carpet has been pulled. It’s not just me it’s happened to; it’s happened to a lot of people – women, men, children have suffered from various types of unpleasantries that sadly at a certain point they begin to think it’s normal, it’s them. It’s not.
Feminist groups and film industry associations had criticised the festival’s decision to honour Depp when the award was announced in August.
The CIMA association of female cinematographers and audiovisual professionals insisted it was “an error from an ethical point of view.”
The group attempted to ask Depp to respond to their objections during the press conference but the session moderator blocked it.
