Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be pissed off about Depp casting

164 replies

Justanothernameonthepage · 08/12/2017 08:23

He doesn't bring in the money at the box office (no more than a lot of other choices). He is abusive towards women (proven in court & caught on camera).
Why has the director of Fantastic beasts brushed it off as he's 'full of decency'. No, abusers are not full of decency.
This is the director who changed a black actress for a white one when the role became bigger so it's not about continuity.

I'm surprised at how angry this has made me, but I'm furious he's being given a free pass on this.

OP posts:
bluebells1 · 08/12/2017 10:35

DontDrinkDontSmoke Exactly! She is the worst!

GwenStaceyRocks · 08/12/2017 10:37

if someone with as much money as Rowling has, couldn't afford to take a stand for fear of reprisals, or loss of profits, then who can?
Well, Netflix could afford to do it with Kevin Spacey and House of Cards. Ridley Scott did it with Kevin Spacey and the Getty movie. Wonder Woman did it with Brett Ratner (although obvs he is not an actor).Netflix did it with Danny Masterson.

IMightMentionGriddlebone · 08/12/2017 10:37

And no, I don't think I'll be watching the film either.

Dadstheworld · 08/12/2017 10:39

Honey

The settlement was related to their divorce, not to any allegations on his behavior.

RidingWindhorses · 08/12/2017 10:39

I work in the entertainment industry and know a bit about this partnership. There are nuances to relationships. I'm not usually a huge fan of JKR but she is correct not to allow the mob, who know nothing about what really went on, to shout her down.

There are no nuances to being hit. A friend of mine is a producer in Hollywood - her take was that JD has always had significant drug and alcohol problems, he is quite shy, very insecure. That having a beautiful young partner made him paranoid and insecure to a high degree and that combined with drug and alcohol meant that he would lose it and lash out.

But at the end of the day no-one within an industry knows what goes on behind closed doors.

woofmiaowwoof · 08/12/2017 10:40

Gwen do you think that may be down to the reactions of the people that were accused though - also maybe because the allegation about Spacey was with a child, whereas there is some misogyny going on here too?

Either way, I agree, this really stinks.

RidingWindhorses · 08/12/2017 10:41

I think libtard is a common insult in USA used by Trump supporters for democrats. Retard/moron and the like don’t seem to be deemed as quite so offensive across the pond

They're not less offensive just commonly used by people who are really stupid.

19lottie82 · 08/12/2017 10:42

I believe Amber Heard. I find it so odd
that abuse is normalised and accepted.

Did you know AH was charged with domestically abusing her ex partner? Yet this has been brushed under the carpet.....

ramonaquimby · 08/12/2017 10:42

JD also came out and publicly defended Roman Polanski years ago when things were resurfacing about RPs criminal case in the US.

I've not seen anything he's been in ever since.

I didn't see Fantastic Beasts either (and am a big Harry Potter fan!) and won't pay to see the rest that are planned

woofmiaowwoof · 08/12/2017 10:44

even so lottie, doesn't excuse Depp or are they all as bad as each other?

19lottie82 · 08/12/2017 10:45

woof no it definitely doesn’t excuse him if its true but I just find it all a bit hypocritical that AH was charged with abusing her ex (female) partner, but everyone seems to have conveniently forgotten this.

RoseWhiteTips · 08/12/2017 10:46

He looks awful these days. Never did se the fuss, though.

Nyx1 · 08/12/2017 10:46

first thing I found on Amber abusing her ex was that it was misinterpreted by misogynists...

variety.com/2016/biz/news/amber-heard-domestic-violence-ex-girlfriend-responds-1201791500/

NotACleverName · 08/12/2017 10:46

lol @ the usage of libt*rd and SJW to make some kind of point.. Xmas Hmm 🤦🏼‍♀️

RoseWhiteTips · 08/12/2017 10:47

...see the reason...

LadyDeadpool · 08/12/2017 10:49

You're an absolute bullshitter about the word Libtard cdvegan2023 its a blend word popular in America and is absolutely vile since it is a blend of the words Liberal and Retard and is usually only used by angry racists.

HoldMeCloserTonyDanza · 08/12/2017 10:49

It's a poor casting decision (not least because Colin Farrell was great in the role and just trying to bring him back would be a much better solution).

She's almost certainly going to have to do an awkward climb down.

I do like her generally but she's got this one wrong and the sooner she sorts it out the better.

Birdsgottafly · 08/12/2017 10:50

"Mark Whalberg blinds a Korean Man in a racial attack (has never said sorry"

He didn't. The man was already blind in one eye. He did say sorry, his Victim forgave him. MW was 16 and turned his life around whilst in a young offender prison.

It's a question of whether we believe in rehabilitation or not.

GwenStaceyRocks · 08/12/2017 10:53

woof I think Netflix dropped Spacey because when the first accusation broke, the creator of House of Cards tweeted immediately that he took such reports seriously and supported the victim. Netflix then followed his lead.
But I also think you're right that misogyny plays a role especially in the Fantastic Beasts' Director's statement where he seemed to imply that because Amber Heard was the only one making an accusation (as it always is in a DV case) then it wasn't as valid as other people who had faced multiple accusations.

RidingWindhorses · 08/12/2017 10:53

Yes - her ex partner, who is still a close friend, said that Amber was wrongfully accused and charge (which was dropped) was homophobic, misinterpreted and sensationalised. Her statement:

'I recount hints of misogynistic attitudes toward us which appeared to be homophobic when they found out we were domestic partners and not just "friends." Charges were quickly dropped and she was released moments later.'

She said that Amber was 'honest' and was 'disheartened' that Amber's 'integrity was questioned'.

Why do some people insist that victims must be whiter than white in order for dv or sexual violence to be unacceptable? People cast similar aspersions on Rose McGowan a propos of Harvey Weinstein.

woofmiaowwoof · 08/12/2017 10:53

not really, you can't rehabilitate and forgive when there's no admission of wrong-doing? Surely that's what they're being punished for?

MorrisZapp · 08/12/2017 10:54

Johnny Depp is an abomination. He's physically repellent and his acting is basically a novelty turn. Think of all the talent out there, and they pick that seedy little man, it's depressing.

I loved Murder on the Orient Express but I couldn't truly enjoy it until he'd been despatched. Stop casting him, he's shit. Even without the extremely questionable private life.

Oh and stop phoning Bill Nighy every single time an ageing roue is needed, it's boring. See also Judi Dench.

Are there no other actors?

woofmiaowwoof · 08/12/2017 10:55

totally agree riding, it's the whole prostitutes can't be raped thing in a different form. In fact from the people IRL who've been in these situations, sometimes the person being abused does hit back and then of course the abuser is quick to claim that they're being abused...

Chrys2017 · 08/12/2017 10:56

I think there is some legal constraint regarding exactly how much freedom of speech JK Rowling has on this topic. I wouldn't be at all surprised if she not only has no power of veto at all over casting, but has some sort of contract which forbids her to criticize the directors/producers or their choices.

JK Rowling is a billionaire. I'm sure she could manage to get out of any contract she chose to.