Social media has been reacting after Ed Sheeran was pictured together recently with Johnny Depp.
The two were seen having a pint together alongside Russell Crowe recently, as they appeared at one of Andrea Bocelli’s live shows in Italy. It took place as part of the Italian tenor’s three-day event in Tuscany, in celebration of his 30 years in the music industry.
On Thursday (July 18), Crowe posted a photo of himself sharing a Guinness backstage with Depp and the ‘Shape Of You’ hitmaker. “Teatro del Silenzio backstage shenanigans with Teddy & Johnny,” he wrote in the caption. “Lubrication by Guinness. Perfect. Grazie Millie Maestro Andrea Bocelli. What an incredible experience.”
Since then, various X users have taken to the platform to criticise Sheeran for spending time with Depp following the latter’s high-profile defamation case with ex-wife Amber Heard.
Teatro del Silenzio backstage shenanigans with Teddy & Johnny.
Lubrication by Guinness.
Perfect.
Grazie Millie Maestro Andrea Bocelli. What an incredible experience. pic.twitter.com/plEbq1LMwj— Russell Crowe (@russellcrowe) July 18, 2024
Depp sued Heard for defamation over a 2018 op-ed in The Washington Post, in which she wrote about being a survivor of domestic violence. Heard did not mention Depp by name in the piece, though the actor’s lawyers argued it falsely implied she was sexually and physically abused by him in their marriage. Heard filed a counterclaim against her former husband, arguing he created a smear campaign against her.
After deliberating for three days, a jury ruled in favour of Depp and awarded him $10million (£8m) in compensatory damages and $5million (£4m) in punitive damages. Heard was awarded $2million (£1.6m) after the jury found that Depp had defamed her through his attorney.
Controversy still surrounds The Pirates Of The Caribbean actor despite his win in the US, as he did lose a libel case in the UK two years earlier, when a court ruled that The Sun did not defame him when they referred to him as a ‘wife beater’ in a headline.
“Ed Sheeran is not a girl’s girl… Johnny Depp is a vile human being,” one user wrote on X in response to the photo, while another added “I sometimes can’t defend other men”.
“Oh, Ed Sheeran,” a third added, alongside a GIF of Tyra Banks shouting “I was rooting for you, we were all rooting for you! How dare you!” Find more fan responses below.
NME has reached out to Ed Sheeran for comment.
Oh my god that’s terrible!!! Even guys like Ed Sheeran can’t be trusted anymore
— Ash-can (@AshtynCan) July 19, 2024
Oh ffs @edsheeran I was backing you.
—
Vicky
oh and fuck ed sheeran too I guess https://t.co/SeWsuxtm0N
— ِ (@shawnsguster) July 18, 2024
Oh, Ed Sheeran, https://t.co/1NZtb1QCfJ pic.twitter.com/SQwWxXQGAB
— Phantom (@effoff1988) July 18, 2024
oh and fuck you ed sheeran pic.twitter.com/yoR4HIqwEE
— amber heard archive
︎ (@heardsstan) July 18, 2024
soo disappointed
— lucy४
KIMIKO NATION (@sansasstarkss) July 18, 2024
A similar line of criticism was aimed at Sam Fender back in 2022 as well, when the musician shared a photo of Depp and Jeff Beck amid the defamation trial and described them as “serious heroes”.
“I want to apologise,” he later wrote. “I was invited to briefly meet a musical legend and an actor who has been in almost every film I’ve watched growing up. I went – we chatted music and without thinking I took a photo and posted it as it was pretty surreal.”
Going on to explain why he had called Depp and Beck “heroes”, Fender said the word “was meant in reference to their careers” but acknowledged that “in the context of the trial [it] was severely misinformed”. “I now realise that it was a poor choice of words and timing, but that’s irrelevant,” he said.
“It was naive and disrespectful to those who relate to any of the issues highlighted in the trial and the broader issues it poses. I didn’t think it through and I should have.”
While at the concert series last week, Depp appeared on stage with Bocelli, and the two performed ‘En Aranjuez Con Tu Amor’ in tribute to Jeff Beck.
The track is one that they originally played together alongside the late guitar legend, when the two of them visited Bocelli in 2020. At the time, the trio recorded their time performing together, and during the recent on-stage appearance, the recording was incorporated to feature Beck’s contribution.
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