Johnny Depp has ‘bromance’ with Saudi Prince: ‘Genuine connection’

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Johnny Depp has struck up a “bromance like no other” with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, aka MBS, according to a new Vanity Fair profile.

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“Though I admit I was somewhat naive at first to what was transpiring in the region, I’ve since experienced firsthand the cultural revolution that is happening there — from emerging young storytellers radiating fresh ideas and works of art to a blossoming film infrastructure and a newfound curiosity for innovation,” Depp tells the outlet.

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A friend of Depp’s told Vanity Fair: “They made a genuine connection. It’s a shock to many of the people who know (Depp), but it’s what happened.”

According to the magazine, the two struck up a friendship in 2022 when Depp, 60, was filming the French period piece Jeanne du Barry, in which Saudi Arabia had invested millions. 

“The bromance is now in full gear,” the profile states.

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In the past year, Depp has spent more than seven weeks in the country, staying in royal palaces and camps, jetting to London on MBS’s personal 747, and getting a first-hand look at the ruler’s attempts to turn Saudi Arabia into a cultural hub.

“I’ve had the opportunity to meet people from various parts of the region who have been most welcoming in sharing with me their culture, their traditions, and their stories,” Depp tells the magazine.

Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Fund is helping back Depp’s coming biopic about the life of Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani, which he’ll direct with Al Pacino set to star. The country also helped finance Jeanne du Barry, which opened last year’s Cannes Film Festival and helped revive Depp’s career after his messy split from Amber Heard.

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Sources tell the publication that Depp is considering a seven-figure offer to be a pitchman for the country.

The two men have had very public controversies — Depp’s personal life spilled out in court when he sued Heard, accusing her of defamation after she wrote an op-ed calling herself a survivor of domestic abuse. The Pirates of the Caribbean star lost his first case in England, before prevailing in the U.S. But his reputation was in tatters.

Meanwhile, MBS, once a rising star on the world stage, saw his public persona take a hit after the murder of Washington Post reporter Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi state operatives in 2018.

Vanity Fair also reports that at one point, Depp questioned his new friend about the circumstances surrounding the death of Khashoggi, who was critical of MBS in his columns.

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“MBS denied ordering the murder but admitted he was ultimately responsible for Khashoggi’s death,” the profile wrote.

Depp heard arguments from MBS that Khashoggi was “a rogue operative working with the country’s enemies to undermine the crown prince’s reform agenda … the royal court viewed him as a corrupt enemy of the state, putting its future at risk for hidden motives.”

Khashoggi was supposed to be arrested, MBS insisted, and the operatives were acting on their own believing the prince would be pleased by his death.

In 2021, a declassified U.S. intelligence report concluded that the crown prince ordered Khashoggi’s murder. But the 38-year-old ruler of Saudi Arabia has escaped any real punishment, plunging himself into his Vision 2030 plan designed to turn the nation into a leader in the arts, sports and culture.

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”We’re making up for lost time and making sure that our country realizes its potential,” a Saudi government adviser says of its big drive into the world of entertainment.

Depp’s portrayal in the media during his trial against Heard played a part in making him “question the Western narrative about Saudi Arabia.”

Just last year, Depp spoke about how he was blacklisted in Hollywood, dropped from a co-starring role in the popular Fantastic Beasts film franchise after Heard accused him of abuse. But he’s moved past that.

“Of course, if you’re asked to resign from a film you’re doing because of something that is merely a bunch of vowels and consonants floating in the air, yeah, you feel boycotted,” Depp said.

“Do I feel a boycott now? No, not at all. I don’t feel boycotted by Hollywood because I don’t think about Hollywood. I don’t have much further need for Hollywood myself.”

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