Johnny Depp may have been greeted with open arms after returning to the festival circuit in support of Jeanne de Barry at the recent Cannes Film Festival, but there were no guarantees that Amber Heard would receive the same reception when she did something very similar.
After all, the actress became one of the most controversial and polarizing public figures on the planet during the heated trial opposite her ex-husband, with the social media discourse regularly veering into the toxic at the same time millions of people backed petitions demanding she be removed from upcoming DCU sequel Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
As a result, there were many left wondering what the reaction would be when Heard hit the red carpet at the Taormina Film Festival to show solidarity with upcoming supernatural thriller In the Fire, which marks her first non-Mera feature film appearance since Gully wrapped shooting in the spring of 2018.
To what’s sure to be the dismay of many, though, Heard was all smiles as she greeted her fans and well-wishers, posing up a storm and signing autographs in her first major movie-related outing in a long time.
The legal battles between the warring ex-spouses may have come to an end – or so you’d hope, at least – but the similarities between both Depp and Heard showing up at film festivals to promote their latest projects is curious nonetheless. Thankfully, they both managed to avoid boos, hecklers, or any of the other negative aspects that could have befallen them, even though it would also be fair to say their respective mainstream careers may not reach the same heights again.