Actor Johnny Depp issued an apology for his joke about assassinating President Trump, saying it was made in poor taste. Depp said the joke did not come out as intended, and "I intended no malice." He added that he was only trying to amuse the crowd and not to harm anyone.
During the Glastonbury Festival, Depp joked “when was the last time an actor assassinated a president" to the crowd. Depp recently starred in the movie “Pirates of the Carribean 5: Dead Men Tell no Tales” where he reprised the role of the beloved Captain Jack Sparrow. The movie garnered more than $500 million in ticket sales worldwide.
White House condemns Depp’s statement
While President Trump remained silent about Depp’s joke, the White House did not take it sitting down, criticizing the actor for not following the President’s lead in condemning violence. Deputy White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders called on Hollywood and to Depp’s colleagues to speak out against his statement.
Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel also spoke about Depp’s statement, saying "no joke" about killing the President is acceptable."I'm sick of celebrities getting away with such disgusting comments," she tweeted.
Depp never learned from Kathy Griffin’s experience
Depp’s pronouncement came weeks after another Hollywood star, Kathy Griffin, held a bloody head resembling that of President Trump during a photo shoot with famed photographer Tyler Shields.
After the photo made it to social media, Griffin earned the ire of many people. Later in the day, she apologized for the photo, saying she went too far. "I beg for your forgiveness. I went too far," she said in a video posted on her Instagram account. "I made a mistake and I was wrong."
Days after the incident, Griffin claimed she has been receiving abuse and death threats and accused Trump and his family of “using their power to target her." She also claimed that Trump “is personally trying to ruin my life forever." According to Griffin’s lawyer, Lisa Bloom, her client was fired from multiple jobs while organizers have canceled multiple events involving the comedian.
When asked about the photos, Trump said Griffin should be "ashamed of herself."
Aside from Depp and Griffin, several stars have also spoken out against Trump, including pop superstar Madonna, Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin and Jimmy Kimmel, who cracked several jokes at Trump’s expense during his hosting of the Oscars.
