This story discusses domestic abuse and could be triggering for some readers.
Pop star and billionaire business mogul Rihanna shocked her fans yesterday when it was confirmed that Johnny Depp would be appearing in her upcoming fashion show for her lingerie label, Savage X Fenty.
The Savage X Fenty runway show is a celebrated and televised event, known for showing a range of diverse bodies. In 2021, Cindy Crawford was featured in the showcase in a ‘star’ moment, and Depp’s appearance is set to mimic this as he models the brand’s men’s collection.
But the decision has been met with backlash, given the controversy surrounding Depp and his recent defamation trial, which concerned allegations of domestic abuse towards his ex-wife, Amber Heard.
Here’s why everyone is talking about Rihanna and her choice to feature Johnny Depp.
Rihanna and Depp are both making a ‘comeback’.
Depp has been ‘coming back’ since he won his defamation trial, with a jury finding that Heard had defamed him in a 2018 op-ed she wrote for The Washington Post.
This comeback is being favoured by Hollywood, who are inviting him back to work in films in both an acting and directing capacity after a few years out of the spotlight.
Rihanna is also making a comeback of her own, returning to public life after having a baby earlier this year.
However, as mentioned by Laura Brodnik and Chelsea McLaughlin, hosts of Mamamia’s daily entertainment podcast, The Spill, Rihanna doesn’t really require the attention brought by her choice to feature Depp on the runway.
“It’s a very bold choice, especially since she’s been out of the spotlight for a while,” Brodnik said.
“There’s so much hype around her doing the Superbowl, around her new music, around the fact that she’s attending events, people are excited that she’s a mum now,” she added.
“There’s all these things around her where the world is waiting to welcome her back into the spotlight with open arms, so excitedly.
“And to have all of that overshadowed by Johnny Depp is such a choice.”
Chelsea McLaughlin agreed, saying: "To me, the Depp appearance sticks out as a major, major misstep, not just for Rihanna, but for the brand as well. The TMZ sources say that she and her team actually reached out to Depp to make this happen. My question is: why? Why the hell is this happening?"
Listen: Laura Brodnik and Chelsea McLaughlin discuss the Rihanna controversy on The Spill. Post continues after.
Where does Johnny Depp stand legally?
While Depp won his US lawsuit against Heard, with the jury finding she had defamed him, he also lost a similar lawsuit in the UK a year prior.
Depp sued The Sun newspaper when they released an article that called him a ‘wife beater’, and claimed he assaulted Heard, an allegation he strenuously denied.
However, Judge Andrew Nicol ruled in favour of The Sun, saying it had proved what was in the article to be “substantially true”, finding 12 of the 14 alleged incidents of domestic violence had occurred.
A lot of the allegations centred on a time when Depp and Heard were based in Australia, as Depp was filming a movie in Queensland.
“Taking all the evidence together, I accept that she [Heard] was the victim of sustained and multiple assaults by Mr Depp in Australia,” Judge Nicol said in court.
However, the outcome of this case had no impact on the US trial, which saw Depp awarded $10 million in compensatory damages, and $5 million in punitive damages for the defamation case.
The jury awarded Heard $2 million in compensatory damages, but no punitive damages in the counterclaim she launched against her ex-husband.
The uncomfortable nature of the choice.
Critics have been quick to point out that Rihanna herself is a victim of domestic violence, making the choice seem even more pointed.
In 2009, Rihanna’s then-boyfriend, R&B singer Chris Brown, pleaded guilty to physically assaulting her in a car during an incident where he then left her injured on the side of the road.
Pictures of Rihanna’s bruised and swollen face were leaked to TMZ, with the story instantly going global given the pair’s celebrity status.
Brown received five years' probation for his actions.
Rihanna spoke about the incident in an interview with Vanity Fair in 2015.
“I just never understood that, like how victims get punished over and over,” she said.
“It’s in the past, and I don’t want to say ‘get over it’, because it’s a very serious thing that is still relevant, it’s still real."
“A lot of women, a lot of young girls, are still going through it. A lot of young boys, too. It’s not a subject to sweep under the rug, so I can’t just dismiss it like it wasn’t anything, or I don’t take it seriously,” she continued.
“But for me, and anyone who’s been a victim of domestic abuse, nobody even wants to remember it. Nobody even wants to admit it. So, to talk about it and say it once, much less 200 times, is like… I have to be punished for it? It didn’t sit well with me.”
Speaking about this on The Spill, Laura Brodnik said: “Rihanna herself is a survivor of domestic violence. I’m not saying those two things should be conflated at all, and she’s kind of free to make her own choices, which she’s done, but I’m just thinking that there’s so much history and so much extra context around it that it’s not about him walking in the show.
“I would just love to know her reasoning behind that, what possessed her to take such a strong stance?”
Fans of Rihanna have also wondered about the stance she’s taking, with some calling for him to be removed.
“Delete the Johnny Depp scene now if it ever existed,” one Twitter user wrote.
“Will boycott the show if Johnny Depp is in it,” another wrote.
However, others have thanked her for supporting Depp, referring to him as a ‘survivor’ of domestic abuse himself, and claiming that the two working together shows solidarity.
If this post brings up any issues for you, or if you just feel like you need to speak to someone, please call 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) – the national sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling service. It doesn’t matter where you live, they will take your call and, if need be, refer you to a service closer to home.
You can also call safe steps 24/7 Family Violence Response Line on 1800 015 188 or visit www.safesteps.org.au for further information.
Feature Image: Getty/Mamamia
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