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Johnny Depp asks Glastonbury crowds: 'When was the last time an actor assassinated a president?'

Actor made controversial remarks about Donald Trump while introducing a film at Glastonbury Festival

Roisin O'Connor
Music Correspondent
Friday 23 June 2017 08:02 BST
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Johnny Depp jokes about Donald Trump assassination at Glastonbury

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Johnny Depp appeared at a Q&A at the new Cinemageddon stage at Glastonbury festival, where he appeared to allude to a Trump “assassination”.

Introducing his 2004 film The Libertine, the actor and musician said that Trump “needs help” and that there were “a lot of dark places he could go”.

“I’m not insinuating anything – by the way this will be in the press and it will be horrible,” he said to laughter from the crowd, “but when was the last time an actor assassinated a president?”

The 54-year-old Pirates of the Caribbean star followed his remarks by saying that he is not an actor, but someone who lies for a living.

He continued: “It’s been a while, and maybe it’s time"

John Wilkes Booth, an actor, assassinated President Abraham Lincoln in 1865.

Depp is not the first US celebrity to allude to an assassination attempt on the president.

Madonna caused uproar at a rally in Washington DC after saying that she had thought “an awful lot about blowing up the White House”.

Snoop Dogg released a controversial music video featuring BADBADNOTGOOD where he shot a toy gun at a Donald Trump character.

While his comments drew cheers at the festival, some have criticised Depp’s comments as they come four days after a gunman shot and injured a Republican congressman and four others in Virginia in the US.

ABC News reports that the US Secret Service is “aware” of his remarks.

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