Why Fans are Ripping Ed Sheeran to Shreds for Posing With Johnny Depp in Backstage Photo
- Fans expressed disappointment in Ed Sheeran after Russell Crowe shared a photo of him and Johnny Depp.
- Although Depp won the trial against Amber Heard, his previous allegations continue to spark division.
- Depp has been working on rebuilding his public image through film roles, appearances, and collaborations.
In the world of entertainment, controversies are usually considered a part of the industry. But sometimes certain controversies or events don’t leave celebrities, and they get forever associated with them for the rest of their lives.
Oftentimes, celebs do certain things that might appear nothing unusual to them, but their celebrity status brings them under media and public scrutiny. It seems like a similar thing happened with Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran when he decided to spend some time with none other than Johnny Depp.
Ed Sheeran’s Backstage Blunder With Johnny Depp
Ed Sheeran recently posed for a photo with Johnny Depp, which was shared by Russell Crowe on X. The image showed them enjoying at the backstage of Andrea Bocelli’s concert.
But even Crowe might not have thought about how a harmless backstage snap would turn into a PR nightmare for Ed Sheeran. Fans took to social media and revealed what they were “thinking out loud.” Many were disappointed in the singer for being associated with Depp.
ed why are you hanging out with that horrible person
— John (stan account) (@jps_aririah) July 19, 2024
nooooooooooo omfg we lost one today kids. ed, how could you do this to me??????
— Reverse Truth🦅🇬🇧👑 (@Bidal4Life) July 19, 2024
https://t.co/DMeRJLs8zN pic.twitter.com/ynSpkpd0NH
— Bob Rock (@aboynamedposh) July 18, 2024
ITS ETHICAL TO HATE ED SHEERAN https://t.co/LDr3DYYmDj pic.twitter.com/ajGRjzGQ09
— laur (@omegaverseliker) July 18, 2024
Well shit looks like I’m not listening to Ed Sheeran anymore lol https://t.co/V3Wfu19WOR
— Midnightzier (@2shweet4me) July 18, 2024
All this outrage was due to Depp’s controversial public battle with ex-wife Amber Heard. Depp won the defamation trial in 2022 against Heard over an op-ed she wrote, where she described herself as “a public figure representing domestic abuse” (via Time Magazine).
This trial happened after he lost a libel case against The Sun newspaper in 2020 in the UK. That case was over one of their articles that called him a “wife beater” (according to BBC). The Depp-Heard trial was quite messy as many disturbing details of their relationship got exposed to the world, which divided public opinion.
Although Depp won that trial, he still draws that controversy even today, and Sheeran facing backlash is an example of that. For some fans, especially his own UK fans, it felt like Sheeran didn’t care about Depp’s controversial past and actions, which was like a betrayal to them, as Depp was proven guilty in their nation’s court.
Johnny Depp Trying to Get Back On Track
This backstage image of Depp, Sheeran, and Crowe is just one of many ways through which Depp is trying to clean his image from an unfortunate, controversial past.
His legal victory against Heard anyway played a big role in cleaning his image and clearing most of the doubts among his fans and public. The fact that the trial was happening publicly became another factor here. Social media became a battlefield at that time, and it seemed like Depp won the PR battle as well.
Depp is also getting back into acting and filmmaking as usual. After everything happened, he did Jeanne du Barry, where he played King Louis XV and was also the co-producer of the movie. It showed that Depp didn’t waste much time to get back to the thing that made him who he is.
Besides all these, Depp has been maintaining a more private life, although he is making enough public appearances through his concerts and interviews. He has been regularly touring with his band Hollywood Vampires and winning hearts with his guitar skills.
Besides that, Depp is also focusing more on making better relationships and collaborations in the entertainment industry. His appearance at Cannes 2023, where he almost teared up, and his recent appearances with Sheeran and Crowe are just a few of the examples that show how Depp is ready for redemption.
