After days of speculation that controversial actor Johnny Depp would appear at this year’s MTV Video Music Awards, the nightmare came true when he was unveiled as the face behind MTV’s Moonman about 15 minutes into the broadcast.
Before cutting to a commercial break, the Pirates of the Caribbean actor appeared in a digital rendering of the network mascot for a few seconds, making a a strangely casual reference to the past five years of his career that have been impacted by allegations of physical and sexual abuse by his ex-wife, actress Amber Heard.
“Hey, you know what?” Depp said almost unintelligibly. “I needed the work.”
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But that wasn’t all. The actor showed up again after another commercial break to simply remind viewers that they were watching the VMAs—to loud applause and wooing from the audience. A third appearance saw the actor, again with his head projected on a Moonman, joke, “I just want you guys to know that I’m available for birthdays, bar mitzvahs, bat mitzvahs, weddings, wakes… any old thing you need.”
There were negative reactions on social media as well, with users condemning the network, which has prided itself on being socially conscious, particularly over the past decade as #MeToo and Black Lives Matter have become mainstream movements.
Rumors that the Pirates of the Caribbean star would make a comeback appearance on the awards show following his court victory against his former spouse in their highly publicized defamation trial back in June were met with scrutiny online. In particular, the move seemed like a desperate appeal to get Depp’s massive online fanbase to tune in, given the ceremony’s declining ratings over the past few years and growing irrelevance in the social-media era.
Likewise, it was strange and disappointing that MTV was willing to platform such a controversial figure, as the public narrative surrounding his marriage to Heard is slowly starting to turn in her favor in light of evidence from a previous U.K. trial and the questionable handling of the Virginia trial earlier this year. It seemed like the show’s producers were at least partially aware of the backlash his cameo would spark, given that his appearances were extremely brief and occurred while many viewers were probably either going to or coming back from the bathroom.
Overall, his cameos soured an already controversial night given the celebration of Nicki Minaj as this year’s Video Vanguard Award recipient despite claims by her husband Kenneth Petty’s sexual-assault victim Jennifer Hough that she’s been threatened and harassed by the rapper. Additionally, The Red Chili Peppers were also chosen as this year’s Global Icons despite their notable history of alleged sexual misconduct. Overall, it seemed like the theme of this year’s ceremony was apathy toward abuse.
