The protesters were banned, the red carpet rolled out and Johnny Depp strolled into Cannes like a conquering hero. He blew kisses, shook hands and briefly dabbed at his eyes. He received a standing ovation that lasted nearly seven minutes. “For a couple of seconds it scared me,” the actor told reporters afterwards. “It was like being stuck in a loop. The energy of the reaction, it just seemed to go on and on.”
Depp is in town for the premiere of Jeanne du Barry, the opening picture of the Cannes film festival. For his supporters the visit marks the first step in the redemption of a one-time Hollywood superstar, still bruised from an ugly legal battle with ex-wife Amber Heard and struggling to repair his damaged reputation. His opponents, however, view it differently. They accuse the festival of effectively handing a free pass to an alleged domestic abuser.
