The San Sebastian Film Festival defends its decision to give Johnny Depp a prestigious acting award amid the ongoing controversy between him and his ex-wife Amber Heard. Depp made his acting debut in the 1984 Wes Craven-slasher film A Nightmare on Elm Street and then rose to stardom on the television series 21 Jump Street. Depp went on to turn in many acclaimed performances throughout the 1990s, such as Edward Scissorhands, his first collaboration with director Tim Burton, which has proven to be a fruitful one over his career. Depp's incredible commercial success, though, has come from playing the swashbuckler Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean.
Over the past year, Depp has been involved in an ongoing legal battle with fellow actor Heard, the former couple each accusing the other of physical and verbal abuse. This led to Depp resigning from his role as Gellert Grindelwald in the Fantastic Beasts series, a spinoff of Harry Potter. A popular online petition demanded WB do the same with Heard, but she will continue in her role as Mera in the Aquaman franchise. Still, the legal battle between the two persists, with recent lawsuits going in each other's favor. It recently was announced that Depp will still receive an acting award as planned, and now the film festival is defending that decision.
In a statement on their website, the San Sebastian Film Festival defended their decision to give Johnny Depp the prestigious Donostia Award. The festival maintains its "commitment to fighting inequality, the abuse of power and violence against women," but they also claim to be governed by two basic principles, "the presumption of innocence and that of the right to reintegration." The statement strongly states, "Depp has not been arrested, charged nor convicted of any form of assault or violence against any woman."
It was certainly surprising when the festival announced last week that Depp would still receive the Donostia Award in light of everything that has come out during his legal battle with Heard and his subsequent stepping down from Fantastic Beasts. It's understandable why some would not want to see him honored with the award, but the festival is correct in stating he has not been charged with nor convicted of any crimes.
It's also worth noting that the San Sebastian Festival is based in Spain, and the Depp-Heard controversy may not have been making headlines internationally as it has in the United States. The festival's decision to honor Depp will undoubtedly continue to receive backlash following this statement defending their decision. Perhaps the only question that remains is if any of it will cause them to reverse course.
Source: San Sebastian Film Festival