Pirates Of The Caribbean Actor Defends Johnny Depp

Here's what one PIrates co-star has to say about Johnny Depp.

By Faith McKay | Published

This article is more than 2 years old

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In 2020, Johnny Depp filed a libel lawsuit against The Sun, saying they couldn’t call him a “wife beater”. After an investigation into the matter, the court decided that it was a fair thing to call him. This didn’t do his reputation any favors. Not wanting to be associated with his ongoing personal issues, the studio asked Depp to step down from his role as Grindelwald on Fantastic Beasts 3, which he did, and Mads Mikkelsen took up the role. While there are those who want to distance themselves from the actor, there are also those who want to defend him. Greg Ellis, who played Lieutenant Theodore Groves, recently came to his defense during an interview with Express.

Greg Ellis claims he has more to say about Johnny Depp and his experiences, but since Depp is currently still navigating the legal system, Ellis says he can’t say much. What he will say is that the actor has been “mischaracterised”. Greg Ellis fully believes that at some point, the actor will make a comeback in Hollywood. However, he’s not sure to what degree that comeback will take. He feels that Depp has been a victim of a culture that now celebrates victimhood, and the recognized victim is Amber Heard, not Depp. He said, “[There’s] this reputation savaging that’s going on, this victimhood culture where victimhood is the new social currency and its economy is booming, and it’s been inflated.” Ellis also said that Depp has been very supportive of his new book.

It’s important to mention that the Pirates of the Caribbean actor was also there to promote his new book, The Respondent: Exposing the Cartel of Family Law, for which Johnny Depp has written the introduction. The foreword was written by actor Alec Baldwin. The book is about divorce courts in the United States and is being published on June 29, 2021. Greg Ellis appears to be friends with Depp, but also has business reasons to be defending the actor.

greg ellis pirates of the caribbean

Greg Ellis also spoke to Express about Johnny Depp being fired from Fantastic Beasts 3. He said that this is the result of a fear of the media. As for whether Jack Sparrow, Depp’s character, should make a return for Pirates 6, he strongly felt that needed to happen, despite the fact that the studio seems unlikely to be in agreement. Greg Ellis said, “If Jack Sparrow isn’t a key, if not the key element, to wrapping up a multi-billion dollar franchise, is it not akin to not having Captain Kirk in [the original] Star Trek?”

Johnny Depp could use the work. Even though he’s been in multi-billion dollar franchises, and was able to keep his $16 million payday for Fantastic Beasts 3 without having to appear in the film, the actor may be broke. His spending habits are astonishing, even for someone who earns as much as he does. he reportedly spends $2 million a month. He is currently blaming his ex money managers for his lack of funds, but they are saying he is the problem. On top of his spending habits, he has also somehow not paid his taxes for the last 17 years. Getting a new job on Pirates 6 or any major production could do a lot to help his financial situation and his reputation, but that also currently seems unlikely as most want to distance themselves from the Johnny Depp name.