Sam Fender has issued an apology for calling Johnny Depp and Jeff Beck “serious heroes” in a selfie he posted with them.
The image was posted to Fender’s social media pages the same evening (June 1) that a decision in Depp’s defamation case against his ex-wife Amber Heard was made.
The musician has already posted an apology to his fans because the post is no longer accessible. He posted an apology today on his Instagram Story (June 4). I was given the opportunity to briefly speak with a legendary musician and an actor who appeared in practically every movie I saw growing up. I went, we talked about music, and I snapped a shot and uploaded it without thinking since it was so bizarre.
Fender went on to clarify his use of the word “hero” in connection to Depp and Beck’s careers, admitting that “in the context of the trial [it] was horribly inaccurate.” I now understand that the time and words I used were terrible, but that’s unimportant, he said.
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“It was foolish and insensitive to anybody who can relate to any of the trial’s concerns and the bigger questions it raises. I should have given it more thought, but I didn’t.
“I can’t really say anything other than that it was ill-judged and that I was ignorant of the cases as a whole and careless about what my post could indicate,” he continued. I fully understand this, and I apologize greatly.
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Heard’s 2018 op-ed in The Washington Post, in which she discussed being a victim of domestic violence, prompted Depp to sue her for defamation. Although the actor’s lawyers claimed it incorrectly implied she had been sexually and physically assaulted by him throughout their marriage, Heard did not specifically identify Depp by name in the article. Heard asserted that her ex-husband started a slander campaign against her in a counterclaim she filed against him.
Three days of deliberations later, a jury found in Depp’s favor and gave him $10 million (£8 million) in compensatory damages and $5 million (£4 million) in punitive damages. After the jury determined that Depp had slandered Heard through his attorney, Heard received a $2 million (£1.6 million) award.