Sharon Stone questions integrity of recent Johnny Depp project

‘He’s making a fortune,’ Basic Instinct star says

Sharon Stone has taken a swipe at Johnny Depp in a new interview about her success in the art world.

The Hollywood star, whose credits include Basic Instinct and Casino, has turned her back on acting to pursue her painting skills – and she cast aspersions on an art collection created by Depp that fetched millions in 2022.

Stone reignited her passion for art during lockdown, and decided to embrace the skill full-time after failing to be offered roles she believed were worthy of her talents.

She has now opened her own exhibition – in Berlin – and another is due to open in San Francisco in April. However, while she acknowledged that her rapid success in the art could “probably” be attributed to her fame, the actor told The Guardian she has several obstacles as she isn’t necessarily painting art that galleries want.

Here, Stone hit out at Depp’s lucrative art collection, stating: “Johnny Depp is printing pictures of people, putting some paint over it and signing it, and making a fortune.”

Stone was referring to Depp’s Friends & Heroes, an art collection featuring 780 prints of famous faces, which he sold for an estimated $3.65m. He followed this up with even more prints in 2023, which included the faces of famous figures such as Heath Ledger and Hunter S Thompson.

Also last year, Depp unveiled a self-portrait, which captures the “emotional exhaustion” he felt during a difficult period in his life. The actor donated $200 from every sale of the picture to Mental Health America.

Stone said curators have made requests seemingly based on Depp’s success, telling the outlet: “I had galleries approach me and say, ‘Could you please make prints of your face?’ I think it’s my duty not to do that. It’s my job to open a window for other women and hold it open further.”

In the past, Stone has been supportive of Depp in regards to his personal life. Addressing his high-profile court case with ex-wife Amber Heard, Stone told The Telegraph in 2020: “I’ve known Johnny from when he was a kid and he’s a terrific guy: sweet and nice and very warm and generous. So I have a feeling it’s more about this young lady.”

Sharon Stone is not a fan of Johnny Depp’s art skills (Getty Images for VOX Media)

On Wednesday (20 March), Depp responded to an accusation that he treated his Blow co-star Lola Glaudini aggressively on the film’s set.

A rep for the actor denied Glaudini’s claims, saying: “Johnny always prioritises good working relationships with cast and crew and this recounting differs greatly from the recollection of other members on set at the time.”