J.K. Rowling Finally Responds to Criticism About Johnny Depp's Grindelwald Casting
In the spring of 2016, Amber Heard was granted a temporary restraining order against her then husband, Johnny Depp, after accusing him of domestic violence. The story sent shockwaves throughout Hollywood, and things only intensified as more details started trickling out. Several months later Heard dropped the charges against Depp, and her domestic violence case was dismissed. This happened in tandem with the finalization of their divorce.
The specifics of their case have never been confirmed, but Depp’s public image took a major hit as a result. Soon after, Harry Potter fans started protesting Depp’s casting as Grindelwald in the Fantastic Beasts franchise. (He had a cameo role in the first film, which came out in 2016, and has the titular role in the sequel, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.)
J.K. Rowling, who wrote the screenplays for both films, remained mum on the controversy for quite some time, but she finally spoke about it on Thursday, December 7, leaving a lengthy message on her personal website.
“When Johnny Depp was cast as Grindelwald, I thought he’d be wonderful in the role,” she wrote. “However, around the time of filming his cameo in the first movie, stories had appeared in the press that deeply concerned me and everyone most closely involved in the franchise. Harry Potter fans had legitimate questions and concerns about our choice to continue with Johnny Depp in the role. As David Yates, long-time Potter director, has already said, we naturally considered the possibility of recasting. I understand why some have been confused and angry about why that didn’t happen.”
Rowling says her inability to “speak openly to fans” about the Depp issue has been “difficult, frustrating, and at times painful.” Be she contends her silence was out of respect for the “agreements that have been put in place to protect the privacy of two people, both of whom have expressed a desire to get on with their lives.” (She’s presumably referring to Depp and Heard here.)
Rowling noted the people involved with The Crimes of Grindelwald are “genuinely happy” with Depp’s casting. However, she offered this caveat: “I accept that there will be those who are not satisfied with our choice of actor in the title role. However, conscience isn’t governable by committee. Within the fictional world and outside it, we all have to do what we believe to be the right thing.” You can read her full statement here.
The social media reactions to Rowling’s statement have been less than enthusiastic, to say the least. Many fans are upset more action wasn’t taken in this situation; they fear keeping Depp on board is only enabling his reported abuse. Here are just a few of the responses we found:
https://twitter.com/daniellelisle_/status/938817498698387456
https://twitter.com/misssmaggiemay/status/938827276673789954
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is slated for a 2018 release.
Related Stories:
J.K. Rowling Shares How Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Are Connected
J.K. Rowling Had the Perfect Response to Tomi Lahren’s Anti-Trans Tweets
J.K. Rowling Just Shut Down Someone Who Mansplained What a Book Was to an Author