A French Filmmaker and Her Crew Did Not Enjoy Working with Johnny Depp on 'Jeanne du Barry'

By Dustin Rowles | Celebrity | April 23, 2024 |

By Dustin Rowles | Celebrity | April 23, 2024 |

Johnny Depp remains largely ostracized by Hollywood despite rumors that he’d be starring in a movie opposite Sydney Sweeney (a rumor that Sweeney’s team was quick to put down). The actor hasn’t made a movie that people have actually watched since being booted from the Fantastic Beasts franchise in 2018, and hasn’t appeared in a live-action movie at all since 2020s Minamata, hilariously nominated by fans for an Oscar in the short-lived Academy Award category, Favorite Fan Movie (despite not being released in America).

Nevertheless, the Europeans thought they’d give Depp a second chance, something that French filmmaker Maïwenn is probably regretting. She cast Depp as King Louis XV in her upcoming period drama Jeanne du Barry, and recently shared her experience working with the actor.

In an interview with The Independent, Maïwenn — who also plays a sex worker who becomes the mistress of King Louis XV in the film — revealed that Depp was unprofessional and “difficult” to work with. She alleged that the actor refused to show up on time and made the film crew feel fearful due to his unpredictable behavior.

“I have to be honest. It’s difficult to shoot with him,” Maïwenn told the publication. “All the crew were scared because he has a 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. I mean, even if he was there on set, on time, the crew were afraid of him.”

Depp has a reputation for being chaotic and unpredictable, not just from the Amber Heard trials, but from the lawsuit filed against him for beating up a crew member on the 2018 film City of Lies (the suit was later settled).

Maïwenn also added that Depp ignored her texts and would only communicate with her when his entourage was present. Obviously, this made rehearsals and scheduling difficult. These are harsh words from a filmmaker who also believes the #MeToo movement was overblown and that “these women don’t like men.”

“When I hear women complaining that men are only interested in their bottom, I tell them, ‘Enjoy it, because it won’t last!,’” she once said.

“There’s been no normal relationship since the shoot. Johnny, for me, is a huge genius, but he’s in another world. I cannot communicate with him,” Maïwenn said in the interview. Agree to disagree on Depp’s genius.

Source: The Independent