Maïwenn Was ‘Shocked’ Media Took ‘Malicious’ Turn Towards Johnny Depp Over ‘Jeanne du Barry’ Comments

Samantha Bergeson
·3-min read

Maïwenn is holding court when it comes to the viral coverage of working with Johnny Depp on “Jeanne du Barry.”

Maïwenn recently told The Independent that it was “difficult” to work with Depp because the crew was “scared” and “afraid” of the actor in part due to his “different kind of humor and we didn’t know if he was going to be on time, or if he was going to be OK to say his lines.”

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“Jeanne du Barry” marks Depp’s return to the big screen following his highly-publicized court case against ex-wife Amber Heard. However, Depp has shrugged off the label of “Jeanne du Barry” as his comeback film.

Now, actress/director Maïwenn is calling out The Independent for manufacturing “controversy” about her comments regarding Depp, saying that the outlet took her statement to have a “malicious” tone and out of context.

“When I made a remark about Johnny being ‘scary,’ I was talking about his charisma, his notoriety, his star status, etc.,” Maïwenn said in a statement to Variety. “[I] was shocked when I discovered that the newspaper had headlined that ‘The crew were afraid of [Johnny Depp]’ because written like that, and without its context and subtleties, it absolutely no longer means the same thing. The journalist did not want to grasp the subtlety of my words.”

She added, “I would like to make things very clear: Johnny is ‘scary’ in the sense that his charisma and his status as ‘king’ is impressive. I should have used the word ‘impressive’ if I had known [the writer] Charlotte O’Sullivan would use my words in such a malicious way.”

Maïwenn compared Depp to Marlon Brando with his “genius and sufferings, his generosity and paradoxes” that make him “one of the greatest” actors.

“Even though we argued several times on set, he’s someone I totally respect and admire,” she said, “and it’s important for me to correct my own narrative because I feel really betrayed by this interview with Charlotte O’Sullivan.”

Maïwenn continued, “While we are in the middle of the #MeToo movement, here is a woman journalist who only spoke to me about the men in my film or in my life – through the prism of men. As if I only existed thanks to men. Not a single question about the making of my film, nor my inspirations or anything else. And then they complain that there aren’t enough female directors. She did not want to talk about me or my work itself. This is what I personally call fake feminism!”

“Jeanne du Barry” was acquired by Vertical out of Cannes and will open in the U.S. on May 2 as part of a special engagement via Fathom Events.

Maïwenn’s full statement is below.

Usually, my interview questions start with, “Maiwenn, how did the genesis of the film come about?” For the first time in a year, I did an interview where the first question was, “Maiwenn, what is your favorite film with Johnny Depp?” I should have been wary from the start as it was crystal clear but I was blind and naïve. As the interview ended, I realized I hadn’t been asked a single question about the film and it was clear this reporter was looking to make a fuss, to find controversy.

When I made a remark about Johnny being “scary,” I was talking about his charisma, his notoriety, his star status, etc. and was shocked when I discovered that the newspaper had headlined that ‘The crew were afraid of [Johnny Depp]’ because written like that, and without its context and subtleties, it absolutely no longer means the same thing. The journalist did not want to grasp the subtlety of my words.

I would like to make things very clear: Johnny is “scary” in the sense that his charisma and his status as “king” is impressive. I should have used the word “impressive” if I had known Charlotte O’Sullivan would use my words in such a malicious way. 

Something is obvious to me: Charlotte O’Sullivan doesn’t give a damn about films and cinema, and she only wants to start controversies. She obviously doesn’t like cinema. While we are in the middle of the #MeToo movement, here is a woman journalist who only spoke to me about the men in my film or in my life – through the prism of men. As if I only existed thanks to men. Not a single question about the making of my film, nor my inspirations or anything else. And then they complain that there aren’t enough female directors. She did not want to talk about me or my work itself. This is what I personally call fake feminism!

Again, I want to be very clear: Johnny Depp is a huge actor. One of the greatest. He reminded me a lot of Brando – his genius and sufferings, his generosity and paradoxes. Even though we argued several times on set, he’s someone I totally respect and admire, and it’s important for me to correct my own narrative because I feel really betrayed by this interview with Charlotte O’Sullivan. 

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