Johnny Depp thanks Rihanna after controversial appearance in her Savage X Fenty show

The pop-star has faced backlash for the unexpected move
Johnny Depp publicly thanked Rihanna for showcasing him at her fashion show amid backlash
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Dominique Hines11 November 2022
The Weekender

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Johnny Depp has thanked Rihanna for featuring him in her Savage X Fenty fashion show amid backlash over his appearance.

The Pirates of the Caribbean actor, 59, shared a promo clip of himself hitting the catwalk in the We Found Love star’s fourth annual showcase of her underwear line on Instagram.

He captioned the clip: “Thank you @badgalriri #SAVAGEFENTYSHOW Vol.4 Out Now @primevideo.”

Depp, who was a featured guest in the show, sported the lingerie brand’s loungewear while walking through a misty forest to Outkast’s hit track, So Fresh, So Clean.

The star recently won his high-profile defamation case against ex-wife actress Amber Heard over her allegations of domestic violence.

While his army of fans celebrated the win, Heard supporters hit out against the verdict.

Reports of the father-of-two’s appearance in Rihanna’s show this week were also met with a divided response.

Rihanna's Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 4
Depp strutted his stuff on the Savage X Fenty runway, to the delight of his fans and the dismay of Heard supporters
Amazon Prime Video

Paris Hilton showed her support by posting a fire emoji in the comments of his promo post, while Years & Years British singer Olly Alexander, who has worked with Savage X Fenty in the past, told his fans he would no longer wear the line.

In June, a jury found Aquaman actress Heard liable for defaming Depp in her 2018 Washington Post op-ed about domestic violence.

She alleged in the piece that she was the victim and, while she didn’t name Depp in the piece, the actor said it was clear she was referring to him as the abuser, which adversely affected his film career.

Rihanna's Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 4
This is the second high-profile appearance for Depp since the verdict in June
Amazon Prime Video

The jury agreed and he was awarded $10 million (£8.5 million) in damages.

The Aquaman actress won one of her countersuit claims and was awarded $2 million. Heard, who was also heard secretly recorded tape submitted as evidence, admitting to hitting Depp and calling him a baby for complaining, is appealing the verdict.

Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 4 - Nov. 9
Rihanna’s fashion show, which also saw the likes of model Cara Delevingne hit the runway
Dennis Leupold/Savage X Fenty

The actor’s appearance at Rihanna’s showcase isn’t his first high-profile stint which has sparked some controversy since the ruling.

In August, he was featured at the MTV Video Music Awards, where his face was digitally superimposed onto the helmet of the famous MTV ‘moonperson’ award dangling above the stage and showed him making jokes about his lack of work.

The Savage X Fenty Vol. 4 show is streaming on Prime Video now.

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