Entertainment
Johnny Depp urges fans to ‘remain cautious’ amid spate of fake social media accounts pretending to be him-Alicia Adejobi-Entertainment – Metro
The actor released a statement after a surge in fake profiles following the Amber Heard trial.
Johnny Depp has clarified which of his social media channels are verified (Picture: AP)
Johnny Depp has been forced to issue a statement regarding the surge in fake profiles pretending to be him on social media.
There has been a wave of renewed interest in the Pirates of the Caribbean actor following his libel trial against ex-wife Amber Heard in recent weeks.
The televised trial revealed shocking details of Depp and Heard’s former marriage, which ended in 2017, as he sued her over an article she wrote about her experience of domestic abuse.
Heard, 36, did not name Depp, 59, in the Washington Post article in 2018 but the actor argued that it implied he was physically and sexually abusive towards her. The jury returned a verdict in favour of Depp that found the Aquaman actress did defame him with her op-ed.
The actor was awarded damages of $8.35million (£6.8m) after reductions, while Heard was also awarded $2m (£1.6m) in damages.
Depp now hopes to rebuild his tarnished Hollywood career and has been supported by fans worldwide, evidenced in the warm reception he received while performing on Jeff Beck’s UK tour after the verdict was announced.
However, the heightened attention has also meant that people are creating fake social media accounts claiming to be the actor.
The actor asked fans to ‘remain cautious’ as the fake accounts ‘can be relentless’ (Picture: @johnnydepp, Instagram)
Johnny joined TikTok earlier this month and already has over 15m followers (Picture: @johnnydepp, TikTok)
Addressing the recent surge, Depp wrote in a statement shared on his Instagram stories on Sunday: ‘I’ve been made aware that there are fake accounts pretending to be me or people working with me.
‘I do not have any private or side accounts on any platforms. These are the only pages run by me and my team where we share updates and communicate: Instagram @JohnnyDepp TikTok @JohnnyDepp Facebook @JohnnyDepp Discord @JohnnyDepp0854.’
He added in a personal message: ‘I ask that you remain cautious as it seems these fake accounts can be relentless. My team is working to combat the problem. Thank you for your continued support and for making me aware of this issue!
‘Love & respect, JD xx.’
Amber Heard gave her first interviews last week after the libel trial (Picture: AFP via Getty Images)
Johnny has been enjoying the renewed attention and support from fans in light of the legal battle (Picture: Backgrid)
The Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them actor has had his Instagram and Facebook pages for years, but he most recently joined TikTok, amassing over 15million followers in just two weeks.
In his first post, Depp told his devoted fans: ‘To all of my most treasured, loyal and unwavering supporters. We’ve been everywhere together, we have seen everything together. We have walked the same road together.
‘We did the right thing together, all because you cared. And now, we will all move forward together. You are, as always, my employers and once again I am whittled down to no way to say thank you, other than just by saying thank you.
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‘So, thank you. My love & respect, JD.’
Meanwhile, his ex-wife Heard gave her first TV interviews since the verdict earlier this month, and stated that she ‘still loves’ her ex-husband despite their bitter legal battle. She also released ‘years’ worth of therapy notes detailing allegations of physical abuse.
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