Attendees at the MTV Video Music Awards claim the audience applause during Johnny Depp's surprise appearance was edited into the broadcast. Best known for his role as Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean and his numerous collaborations with director Tim Burton, Depp is one of the most recognizable actors of his generation, though his name has recently been marred in controversy due to contentious court battles with ex-wife Amber Heard. Earlier this summer, Depp won his defamation suit against Heard and since then, he has been striving to restore his damaged reputation.This past Sunday at the VMAs, Depp made his first major public appearance since the trial as the network's famous mascot, Moonperson, After an opening performance by Jack Harlow, Fergie, and Lizzo, an astronaut descended from above the stage and his visor slid open to reveal a graphic of Depp's face inside the helmet as a recording of his voice joked about needing work. Depp popped up again after a commercial break to joke about MTV getting back to music. Both times, Depp appeared to the sound of applause.Now, those who attended the VMAs are claiming that the audience applause during Depp's appearances was edited into the broadcast. A tweet from @liliandaisies compiles numerous reactions from attendees who claim that Depp's segments were not even shown to the live audience and any applause was edited into the broadcast. Check out the post below:
Multiple outlets are reporting that Depp's appearances were prerecorded, as that much doesn't seem to be in dispute since the segments were leaked beforehand. Therefore, any applause heard during these segments was likely edited into the broadcast as well. Depp's surprise appearance during the awards has proven to be controversial in and of itself, now coupled with the possibility the broadcast was edited to appear as if he received rousing applause upon his virtual arrival.
Since Depp's segments were not shown to the live VMA audience, it's unclear how they would have reacted, but given that Depp has become a polarizing figure with both loyal fans and harsh critics behind him, there would have likely been a mix of cheers and boos alike. His controversial appearance during the VMAs is just the beginning of Johnny Depp's attempt at a comeback. He's currently working on Maïwenn's film Jeanne du Barry in which he plays King Louis XV and is also set to direct Modigliani, a biopic about the titular Italian artist.
Source: @liliandaisies