Johnny Depp is reportedly being wooed to become a cultural ambassador for Saudi Arabia
byFilm Crazy-
ByEmma KeatesComments (17)Johnny Depp; Mohammed bin SalmanPhoto: Tim P. Whitby; Leon Neal (Getty Images)
Johnny Depp is a gross dude. In case everything that came out during the Amber Heard trialdidn’t totally persuade you, a new, in-depth report from Vanity Fair on his “epic bromance” with Saudi Arabian crown prince Mohammed bin Salman (known as MBS) should. The report is very long and there’s a lot to chew on, but here are some of the salient points:
Depp met MBS after Saudi Arabia poured millions into his 2023 film, Jeanne du Barry, as a part of the country’s initiative to fund the arts and subsequently court A-list stars to further raise its cultural capital. The final budget of the film came out to $22.4 million. (The film went on to earn only $13.7 million at the international box office.)
After flying to Jeddah for the 2022 Red Sea Film Festival, Depp and MBS “hit it off instantly.” He has since spent multiple months traversing the country with the crown prince, including visits to his royal camp in the mountains (complete with trained falcons, luxury tents, and outdoor kitchens with dozens of staff) and his 439-foot yacht “Serene,” one of the largest in the world. Depp always brings his guitar to the yacht and once gifted MBS a painting that he made.
The two both know “how it felt to suddenly go from golden boy to outcast”—Depp because he’s been blacklisted from many circles in Hollywood and MBS because of his ties to the horrifying murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi operatives in 2018.
Depp was at first “somewhat naive” to the politics and controversies of the region, but has since been completely swept up. “I’ve... experienced firsthand the cultural revolution that is happening there—from emerging young storytellers radiating fresh ideas and works of art to a blossoming film infrastructure and a newfound curiosity for innovation,” the actor said in a statement. “I’ve had the opportunity to meet people from various parts of the region who have been most welcoming in sharing with me their culture, their traditions, and their stories.”
Depp also knows about Khashoggi’s murder—enough to ask his friend what really happened—but seemingly doesn’t care. When confronted, MBS reportedly took the same line he’s continually taken in public statements: that he didn’t order the hit on the journalist (who was extremely critical of his leadership), but is still ultimately responsible since the assassination happened under his jurisdiction.
Depp is reportedly now in talks with the Saudi government for an annual, seven-figure deal in which he would shoot films and attend events in the country, in order to “secure Depp’s assistance in putting Saudi Arabia on the cultural map.”
Despite all this, Depp still says that he “values the friendship for what it is and doesn’t want anything in return.”
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There’s a lot more detail on this, er, interesting development in the full piece, which is absolutely worth a closer read. You can find it here.
