Former Beatle Paul McCartney is currently criss-crossing his way across the country on his latest tour, but rather than normal post-concert topics like set lists and stage designs, some of the conversation after his latest stop has been about his perceived support for Johnny Depp. The rock legend performed “My Valentine” at a stop earlier this week in Orlando, Florida, and during the song, he projected shots from the music video onto a big screen, shots which included Natalie Portman and Johnny Depp.
According to TMZ, the crowd cheered when Depp was first shown on the large monitor, but his appearance was never actually addressed by Paul McCartney during the concert. Given the music legend reportedly didn’t use the visual during his last tour and the Johnny Depp/ Amber Heard trial is everywhere right now, many are speculating the support was a subtle but still intentional choice. That certainly seems possible given Depp and McCartney have spent some time together. A classic photo of the two together from the mid-90s has even started running around on social media.
The Johnny Depp and Amber Heard trial recently wrapped up and is currently with the jury as all sides await their verdict. The televised proceedings have captivated millions, as both former spouses have taken the stand to accuse the other of abuse and drug use, among many other allegations. There have also been a long series of lighter moments including arguments over who pooped in the bed, weird witnesses, sick burns and an all-time courtroom fart.
The former couple met on the set of The Rum Diary and were married from 2015 to 2017. In the time since, the actors have been in and out of various courtrooms. The general public has followed much of these proceedings, but interest has greatly intensified during the current trial as cameras were allowed into the courtroom. Chatter on social media has been near constant during the entire duration of the defamation trial, and a steady stream of celebrities have either been looped into the proceedings as witnesses or their social media accounts and various comments have been poured over by fans trying to figure out who they are siding with.
Unless Paul McCartney makes a further statement on the matter, we may never know how much of his perceived support was intentional, but at least one other rock legend has made his viewpoint a little more clear. Over the weekend, Jeff Beck performed a gig in Sheffield as part of his UK tour and invited Johnny Depp to join him on stage. The two played “Isolation”, a John Lennon cover they released together back in 2020, and they also performed classics like “Little Wing” and “What’s Going On?”
A decision from the jury in the Depp and Heard case could come as early as tomorrow. Expect whatever happens to be very widely covered.