San Sebastian Film Festival director defends honouring Johnny Depp with top prize

‘He has not been arrested, charged nor convicted of any form of assault or violence against any woman,’ said José Luis Rebordinos

The director of San Sebastian Film Festival has defended the decision to give the honorary Donostia Award to Johnny Depp.

The announcement of the accolade raised eyebrows earlier this week, after the actor has been embroiled in a string of controversies, including his failed libel lawsuit in London against The Sun’s publisher over a 2018 headline labelled him a “wife beater”.

A British judge declared that the claim, which related to his ex-wife and fellow actor Amber Heard, was “substantially true”.

Earlier in August, Depp then experienced a rare legal victory, after a judge partially granted a petition by his legal team to force the American Civil Liberties Union to release documents confirming Heard donated her $7m (£5m) divorce settlement, as she pledged to do in 2016.

Today, (13 August), San Sebastian director José Luis Rebordinos released a statement in retaliation to those who had criticised the festival for its decision.

“In the first place, as the director of and person holding the highest responsibility for the Festival, I would like to repeat our commitment to fighting inequality, the abuse of power and violence against women,” he said.

He added: “In these present times, when lynching on social media is rife, we will always defend two basic principles which form part of our culture and of our body of laws: that of the presumption of innocence and that of the right to reintegration.

“According to the proven data which we have to hand, Johnny Depp has not been arrested, charged nor convicted of any form of assault or violence against any woman. We repeat: he has not been charged by any authority in any jurisdiction, nor convicted of any form of violence against women.”

The fallout from Depp’s failed libel lawsuit led to him stepping away from his role as the villain, Gellert Grindelwald, in the forthcoming Harry Potter spin-off film Fantastic Beasts 3.

Casino Royale star Mads Mikkelsen is set to replace him in the role.