Johnny Depp has been forced to issue a statement regarding the surge in fake profiles pretending to be him on social media.
In recent weeks, there has been a wave of renewed interest in the Pirates of the Caribbean actor following his libel trial against ex-wife Amber Heard.
The televised trial revealed shocking details of Depp and Heard’s former marriage, which ended in 2017, as he sued her over an article she wrote about her experience of domestic abuse.
Heard, 36, did not name Depp, 59, in the Washington Post article in 2018, but the actor argued that it implied he was physically and sexually abusive towards her. The jury returned a verdict in favour of Depp, who found the Aquaman actress defamed him with her op-ed.
The actor was awarded damages of $8.35million (£6.8m) after reductions, while Heard was also awarded $2m (£1.6m) in damages.
Depp now hopes to rebuild his tarnished Hollywood career and has been supported by fans worldwide, evidenced in the warm reception he received while performing on Jeff Beck’s UK tour after the verdict was announced.
However, the heightened attention has also meant that people are creating fake social media accounts claiming to be the actor.
Addressing the recent surge, Depp wrote in a statement shared on his Instagram stories on Sunday: ‘I have been made aware that fake accounts are pretending to be people working with me or me.
‘I do not have any private or side accounts on any platforms. These are the only pages run by me and my team where we share updates and communicate: Instagram @JohnnyDepp, TikTok @JohnnyDepp, Facebook @JohnnyDepp, Discord @JohnnyDepp0854.’
He added in a personal message: ‘I ask that you remain cautious as it seems these fake accounts can be relentless. My team is working to combat the problem. Thank you for your continued support and for making me aware of this issue!
