In a candid interview with The Sunday Times, Johnny Depp reflected on his tumultuous relationship with ex-wife Amber Heard, declaring he felt like a "crash test dummy for #MeToo" amid their protracted legal battles.

The 62-year-old actor recounted his defamation case against Heard, which stemmed from an op-ed she penned in 2018 for the Washington Post, where she identified as a "public figure representing domestic abuse." After a highly publicized trial in June 2022, a jury awarded Depp $10 million in damages, while Heard received $2 million from her countersuit.

Depp stated, "I knew I’d have to semi-eviscerate myself" during the trial. He felt compelled to fight against what he perceived as damaging myths surrounding him. "If I don’t try to represent the truth, it will be as if I actually committed the acts I’m accused of. And my kids will have to live with it," he explained.

Despite the toll it took on his career—Warner Bros asked him to exit the Fantastic Beasts franchise, and he claimed Disney parted ways with him over Pirates of the Caribbean—Depp expressed unwavering resolve: "I’ll fight until the bitter end." He even remarked, "If I end up pumping gas? That’s all right. I’ve done that before."

Elaborating on the industry backlash he faced, Depp lamented the hypocrisy of those who supported him in public while disparaging him in private, stating it "hurt" to witness such duplicity.

The actor reflected on his role in the #MeToo movement, noting that before the hashtag was coined, he felt many in the industry were hesitant to take a stand, showcasing a culture of fear. "I was pre-#MeToo; I was like a crash test dummy for #MeToo. I sponged it all in," Depp explained.

He also explored how his upbringing influenced his approach to relationships: "I wouldn’t say I grew up in a house without love, but what we experienced was an intense kind of love, lacking bliss." He described growing up around conflict, leading to a skewed understanding of love.

Depp continued, "I sometimes look into a person’s eyes and see sadness, wanting to help them, but no good deed goes unpunished. The experiences I had shaped my perspective on what love really is." His mother’s struggles with reality deeply affected him, and he admitted, "It would be foolish to harbor any bitterness—the past is a learning experience."

Concluding on a hopeful note, Depp remarked on his recent work, including the film Jeanne du Barry, asserting, "Honestly? I didn’t go anywhere. If I had the chance to leave, I wouldn’t come back." He expressed readiness to embrace whatever the future holds in Hollywood.

Depp and Heard's marriage ended in 2016, after just 15 months, following a whirlwind romance that began on the set of The Rum Diary in 2011.