Johnny Depp issues warning to fans after social media fandom grows
Actor was forced to clarify his online presence
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Johnny Depp is issuing a warning to his fans over his social media presence.
The actor, who recently won a defamation trial against his ex-wife Amber Heard, shared a statement to his Instagram Stories on Sunday (19 June).
Depp was addressing the rise in fake profiles pretending to be him, capitalising on the public interest in the actor following the trial.
The Pirates of the Caribbean star amassed 10 million followers within 24 hours of posting his first TikTok video. Before that, he reached more than three million followers without sharing a single video. As of writing, he has 15.1 million followers on TikTok, and 25.9 million followers on Instagram.
“I’ve been made aware that there are fake accounts pretending to be me or people working with me,” he wrote.
“I do not have any private or side accounts on any platforms. These are the only pages run by me and my team where we share updates and communicate: Instagram @JohnnyDepp TikTok @JohnnyDepp Facebook @JohnnyDepp Discord @JohnnyDepp0854.”
He urged his fans to “remain cautious as it seems these fake accounts can be relentless”. “My team is working to combat the problem,” Depp wrote. “Thank you for your continued support and for making me aware of this issue! Love & respect, JD xx.”
Earlier this month, a jury found that Heard had defamed Depp on all three counts and awarded him $10m (£8m) in compensatory damages and $5m (£4m) in punitive damages. Heard was awarded $2m (£1.6m) in compensatory damages, but no punitive damages.
Heard’s attorney recently appeared on morning talk shows to say that her client would be unable to pay the $8.35m (£6.65m) in damages to Depp.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments