Johnny Depp returned to Cannes, making his return to the French film festival for the first time since appearing in court with ex-wife Amber Heard last year to debut his new film “Jeanne du Barry”.
The film marks Depp’s first project after years of controversy in the wake of his messy divorce from Heard, which included allegations of rampant drug abuse, domestic violence and bizarre behaviour.
The film had been heralded as Depp’s comeback, and that certainly appeared to be the case after its Cannes premiere, with Depp and co-star/director Maïwenn met with a rousing seven-minute standing ovation.
According to Variety, Depp “held back tears” as the crowd throughout the prolonged applause for his performance as King Louis IV, waving to the audience and appearing to be “taken aback by the response.”
Maiwenn also became emotional when she tearfully spoke to the audience. “I want to share this moment with my lover, with my producer, with Le Pacte,” she said. “It was a production that was difficult to finance … and I want to share this moment with all my team across the theatre.”
Earlier, Depp received a similarly warm greeting when he made his way to the premiere on the red carpet, with The Associated Press reporting that Depp received cheers, applause and cries of “Johnny!” as he signed autographs and waved to fans.
Meanwhile, Cannes had also been hit with backlash for premiering the film due to the controversial presence of Depp, something that festival chief Thierry Fremaux defended on the grounds of free expression.
READ MORE: Mads Mikkelsen Arrives At The Premiere Of Johnny Depp’s ‘Jeanne du Barry’, Fans Applaud ‘Power Move’
“I don’t know about the image of Johnny Depp in the U.S. To tell you the truth, in my life, I only have one rule: it’s the freedom of thinking, and the freedom of speech and act within a legal framework,” Fremaux said during a contentious press conference.
“If Johnny Depp had been banned from acting in a film, or the film was banned, we wouldn’t be here talking about it,” he added.
Fremaux insisted he and the festival were only concerned about Depp’s acting work, and nothing else.
“As for the rest, I’m the last person to be able to discuss all this,” he told journalists. “If there’s one person in this world who didn’t find the least interest in this very publicized trial, it’s me. I don’t know what it’s about. I also care about Johnny Depp as an actor.”
